It’s crucial to protect the books in your library whether they’re old, well-loved, or rare first-editions. By maintaining the books in your collection, you’ll help them retain their monetary value and legibility for years.
Consider the following tips you can use to help maintain the books in your library and keep even the most borrowed novels in good shape.
Keep your books away from the sun
Some libraries choose not to have windows or to keep their books in the basement to keep them protected against UV light. However, for those who do have windows try to keep your shelves located in a spot that’s outside of the direct light.
If your shelves are in the sunlight and you can’t move them anywhere else, you can still protect your books. Wrap the dust jacket of the books in a UV-resistant plastic book cover. This will help to keep the sun from fading your dust jackets and covers.
Remember to dust your books
Some old books have a mold or mildew smell to them. Unsurprisingly, this is because accumulated dust can lead to mold and mildew growth. It also encourages bug infestations, which is a problem no one wants to deal with.
The fight back against mildew growth, be sure to dust your books regularly and be gentle when you do it. Chemical cleaners can damage your books, so stick only to using a cloth or duster.
Rare or older books can be placed in a glass-fronted cabinet to protect them from dust accumulation. You can also wrap your books in plastic covers to keep them safe from dirt and grime.
Use book repair tape when necessary
Sometimes the books in your collection can lose their binding. This can make it challenging to keep the book together and all the pages in the right place.
Fortunately, cloth book repair tape can help to keep your books together without doing any more damage like duct tape. They can also be used to guard your book’s corners and wings.
Where can I find cloth book repair tape?
There are more than 119,000 libraries in the U.S. and many of the books in library collections can be susceptible to damage. To help protect the books in your collection, you can use cloth book repair tape to keep the books in good condition.
Roll Products offers cloth book repair tape, specialty labels, and even dry erase labels so you can find the library supplies you need all in one place. To learn more about our cloth book repair tape or to order library supply labels, contact Roll Products today.
