SPECIFICATIONS
After the librarian has definitely decided upon the binder whom he
wishes to employ he must, especially in dealing with binders who are not
accustomed to library work, draw up specifications as to ways in which
he wishes different classes of books bound. If he has employed a binder
who thoroughly understands library binding, he may make use of the
binder's knowledge in drawing up the specifications. Under certain
circumstances it may be wise to enter into a contract with the binder,
but ordinarily in the United States such a course will not be necessary.
After the specifications have been prepared and a schedule of prices
agreed upon, the librarian always has the right to refuse to pay for
books not bound according to specifications. Therefore, a definite legal
contract is not necessary. The librarian, except in the case of a few
libraries which according to law must give their work to state
officials, is always at liberty to take his custom from one binder and
give it to another. Thus sufficient pressure is brought to bear on the
binder.
Although the present chapter gives definite specifications for the
binding of various classes of books, it is always wise to show a certain
latitude in the use of specifications. Local conditions, the papers used
in bookmaking which seem to become poorer and poorer with each
succeeding year, and the kind of a library which is to use the
specifications--all these must be taken into consideration when
specifications are drawn up. Moreover, the best specifications will
accomplish little if they are not followed by the binder in a
workmanlike manner, while good workmanship will sometimes make up for
omission of important details in the specifications.
In the main, it will be found that the following specifications may be
used as a guide, except possibly in the case of some reference and
college libraries which do not issue books for home use. It has seemed
best to place first general specifications which apply to all books,
followed by additional specifications for each kind of books treated.
The way in which these specifications are carried out is described in
the chapter on Processes.
GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
1. The binder is responsible for all books consigned to his care and
must replace or pay for all books lost or injured. When one considers
the large number of volumes passing through a bindery, coming from many
different libraries, the number of books for which the binder is unable
to account is surprisingly small.
2. The librarian is the judge of whether the book is bound according to
the specifications. Since he has submitted the specifications and the
binder has agreed to them he should be the sole judge of the result.
3. The binder will be allowed to depart from any specification if it is
desirable in the interests of good binding. He must, however, prove that
he is justified in so doing.
4. Books must be paid for according to a schedule of prices agreed upon
by the binder and librarian.
5. The size should be determined by measuring at the back of the volume
after it is bound. It might be wiser, perhaps, to measure the book
before the boards are put on, so that binders would be sure to trim the
book as little as possible. It is the universal custom, however, to pay
according to the measure of the book with the boards on. This may
possibly tempt the binder to increase the square of the book just enough
to group it with the next larger size so that he can charge more for it.
6. All items not covered in the schedule of prices may be charged for at
the regular rates of the binder for such work.
7. All books not oversewed are to be sewed all-along with Hayes' Irish
linen thread, suiting the size of the thread to the requirements of the
book; No. 25 for light, No. 20 for medium and No. 16 for heavy sections.
8. Cloth must be used for sides of all books bound in half-leather or
half-duck. Never use marbled paper except occasionally on newspapers.
9. Unless otherwise specified, cloth which conforms to the
specifications of the Bureau of Standards, or Imperial morocco cloth,
must be used for full binding. For sides of leather bound books a
somewhat cheaper grade may be used.
10. Duck should have a twisted, double thread in the weft.
11. Moroccos or pigskins must be guaranteed by the manufacturer to be
free-from-acid.
12. Glue must be best quality of binders' or flexible glue, and must be
used sparingly.
13. Poor materials of any kind must not be used.
14. In taking books apart, all old glue, paste, back-lining, paper,
etc., should be carefully removed.
15. The binder should expect to do a certain amount of mending of torn
pages and guarding of weak signatures, but should be allowed to charge
extra when the amount is excessive.
16. The text of all books must be collated by binder and imperfect books
returned to the library. (See under Processes, Collation, p. 15).
17. All illustrations of whatever character printed on single leaves
must be guarded with thin, tough paper and the guard folded around the
adjoining sections.
Some librarians and binders advocate the use of cloth guards but this
seems hardly necessary. The cloth guards tend to swell the back of the
book, especially if there be many plates, while the thin, tough paper is
strong enough for ordinary books. Folded plates should never be sewed
through the middle of the fold, but should be mounted on guards so that
the plates will open out nearly flat when the book is opened. Folded
maps, or other folded plates which may be consulted often should, unless
otherwise specified, be guarded with cloth which is as wide as the book,
so that they may be thrown entirely outside the book and lie flat on a
table.
18. Illustrations which are folded more than once, such as maps, should
be carefully cut and mounted on thin cloth in such a way as to allow for
the folding to come on the cloth alone, not on the paper.
19. Stitching (that is, sewing signatures lengthwise with a
sewing-machine) or old-fashioned whipstitching, is not permitted for any
books; with the possible exception of newspapers.
20. In sewing three bands or tapes must be used for eight-inch books,
four for twelve-inch, etc.
21. Tapes, or bands, and back-lining must project at least an inch and a
quarter on each side of the book.
22. All books should be lined on the back with canton flannel as
described in the chapter on Processes, except in a few cases where it
may be advisable to use duck or a flesher. This eliminates lacing-on of
boards.
23. Adjoining leaves of fly leaves and end papers must always be pasted
together.
24. Books must be trimmed as little as possible.
25. All books should have rounded corners.
26. All books must have French joints.
27. All books, unless otherwise specified, will be fastened finally into
the covers by pasting down end papers. Tight-back books will in addition
have the back glued to the book.
28. Books should be loose-back unless otherwise specified.
29. Edges should be sprinkled unless the library specifies gilding on
top. The color used may be varied to harmonize with the color of the
book.
30. Books must be pressed until thoroughly dry.
31. Binders must keep a record of each book, whether periodical or not,
which has a volume number.
This record, commonly known as a "rub" or "rub-off," shows the size of
the book, kind of binding and exact lettering. Whenever other volumes of
the same work or same periodical are received they will be bound
according to this record, unless the librarian has specified a different
material, or different lettering. In such a case the matter must be
referred to the librarian before the book is bound. If a binder receives
a book with a volume number and has no record of previous volumes, he
should ask the librarian for a sample volume, unless it is obviously a
book for which there could be no sample, such as the first volume of a
periodical giving contemporary dates.
32. The binder is expected to paste in book-pockets and book-plates
when furnished by the library but may charge extra for the work.
33. The best gold leaf must be used in lettering unless cover is light
enough in color to take ink. Leather labels should never be used.
FICTION AND JUVENILE BOOKS
It seems to be fairly well proven that all fiction and juvenile books
should be bound in some kind of leather, preferably cowhide.[5]
Objections to this are heard from time to time, but the objections come
chiefly from the large steel towns where the sulphur in the air has a
bad effect on leathers. In most communities leather will outwear cloth
and in any event cloth becomes shabby, even when perfectly strong, much
more quickly than leather. When the French joint is used the leather
need not be pared and ordinarily will outwear the paper of the book.
Follow general specifications as outlined above, supplemented by the
following:
1. Books should be bound in one-half cowhide (American russia). Roan may
be used if the librarian is sure that it is good.
2. Fly-leaves should be made of white book paper, 70 pounds to the ream
and guarded with jaconet.
It is apparent that when fly-leaves are guarded with cloth they are
sewed as a separate section and not tipped on as is done in ordinary
binding. Since practically all fiction and juvenile books are
oversewed, it will not be necessary to carry the guard around to the
inner side of the fold.
3. End papers may be made of paper specially made for the binder, but it
should be equal in strength to an 80-pound manila paper and should be
guarded with jaconet on the outside of the fold in the same way as
fly-leaves.
4. If book is not oversewed the first and last sections must be guarded
with jaconet.
5. Nearly all books should be sewed with some modern method of
overcasting.
It is probable that in every lot of books sent to the binder there will
be some fiction and juvenile books which could be sewed in the regular
way through the signatures either on bands or on tapes, but the number
is so small that the binder finds it easier to sew all the books alike.
In any event only those which have the backs of the sections unbroken
the entire length and which, in addition, are seldom used, should be
sewed in the regular way.
Footnote 5: See footnote, page 66.
NON-FICTION
1. Books should be bound in full cloth.
2. Books in which the backs of sections are not injured, or which cannot
be easily mended may be sewed regularly. The rest must be oversewed.
3. In all other respects the preceding specifications should be
followed.
PERIODICALS
There is no place in a small library where good judgment will do more to
make the library efficient at a minimum cost than in the binding of
periodicals. The use of libraries for reference purposes is increasing
and the use of periodicals is made easy by means of the periodical
indexes. The enthusiastic librarian who wishes to answer all questions
will be tempted to bind more periodicals than are really needed, thus
impairing the efficiency of the book fund. On the other hand, to some
the cost of binding may seem so great that some useful periodicals will
remain unbound. But it is not necessary to throw away unbound
periodicals. If they are to be used only now and then in reference work,
it is a good plan to wrap them in stout manila paper with stiff boards
on the outside, letter carefully on the back and file away on the
shelves in their regular places among other periodicals.
Supplement the general specifications by the following:
1. Fly-leaves should be made of white book paper, 80 pounds to the ream,
guarded with jaconet on both sides.
2. End papers may be made of special papers used by the binder, but it
is wise to have a 100-pound manila guarded with jaconet on the outside
and also on the inside of the fold.
3. First and last sections must be guarded with jaconet.
4. Books 10 inches in height should be sewed regularly on four bands or
on tapes one-quarter of an inch wide; larger volumes on five bands or
tapes. Sew all-along, passing needle through center of tapes.
5. A millboard as heavy as the weight of the book will allow must be
used.
6. (_a_) Books should be bound in full cloth made according to the
specifications of the Bureau of Standards. As light colors, which may be
lettered in ink, show dirt very readily it seems better to use a dark
color and letter in gold.
(_b_) In large reference or college libraries there are certain
periodicals that receive constant use. It would be a mistake to bind
such volumes in cloth, because no cloth will endure the wear that they
receive. They should be bound in leather, preferably Turkey or Niger
morocco. On no account should American russia be used.
7. If leather is used the sides should be covered with Bureau of
Standards cloth.
NEWSPAPERS
Because newspapers are printed on wretched paper which it is freely
admitted will disintegrate in a comparatively short time, the question
when to bind and when to throw away is a hard one to decide. For the
small library it is surely unwise to bind any except the local paper,
which will be used from time to time for local history. In many cases it
may be wiser simply to wrap the volumes to protect them from the light
and file them chronologically. The librarian of the large library,
however, no matter how disgusted he may be with the poor quality of
paper used finds it necessary to bind a number of newspapers. When
bound they will last twenty-five years or more, during which time they
are sure to be used sufficiently to warrant binding.
Newspapers must be kept away from light, heat and moisture. If possible,
keep in a dark closet until ready for binding. Publishers of local
papers ought to give a copy for binding.
1. Newspapers must be bound in one-half duck, best quality.
It is never under any circumstances wise to bind newspapers in leather.
Duck, to be sure, gathers dirt easily, but it seems to be the only
material sufficiently strong and long-lived for binding newspapers.
2. Fly-leaves and end papers should be made of extra heavy paper well
guarded inside and outside the fold.
3. It is permissible to stitch sections lengthwise before sewing
regularly on bands, but oversewing is preferable.
4. Boards of double thickness must be used. It is best, perhaps, to make
the boards by gluing or pasting two boards of ordinary thickness
together.
5. Corners should be covered with vellum tips.
6. Tight backs must be used.
7. Sides must be covered with paper.
This facilitates the handling of the volumes. If cloth sides are used on
newspapers it increases enormously the labor in shelving them and even
of using them on ordinary library tables. In libraries that can afford
to shelve newspapers on patent shelving with rollers, cloth sides are
preferable.
8. Libraries that can afford it should use a fibre-filling preservative
on the edges. (See page 116 of the Bulletin of the American Library
Association for 1912.)
REFERENCE BOOKS
Reference books should be bound in the same way as fiction or juvenile
books, except that morocco, instead of cowhide, should be used for books
constantly handled. Books used only occasionally should be covered with
cloth made according to the Specifications of the Bureau of Standards.
Very heavy, thick volumes, such as dictionaries, should have all the
strengthening devices and especially should have the bands and canton
flannel on the back placed in split boards or between two boards glued
together. It is impossible to bind such books too strongly. In rare
cases it may be well to sew heavy books constantly used on raised bands,
to have leather corners, and a strip of leather along the bottom of each
board.
LAW BOOKS
Some of the professions have conventional ways of binding professional
books. In the law, for example, it was formerly customary to bind all
law books in full sheep of the natural color. When sheep fell into
disrepute, the law publishers began to substitute cloth similar in shade
to the sheep generally used--a decided gain for law libraries.
Supplement the general specifications by the following:
1. End papers and fly-leaves must be guarded with jaconet, as described
in specifications for fiction and juvenile books, page 93.
2. First and last sections must be guarded with jaconet.
3. All maps and charts must be backed with muslin and not folded unless
necessary.
4. (_a_) Bancroft Legal buckram (the lightest shade made), or Holliston
Mills Library buckram No. 32, should be used for covering.
(_b_) Books used constantly should be bound in half Turkey morocco or
Niger morocco.
MUSIC
1. The most essential quality of a well-bound book of music is its
ability to lie flat wherever opened. It is unwise therefore to use any
kind of an overcast stitch in sewing. Regular sewing on tapes, instead
of bands, must be used.
2. The square at the bottom of the book should be greater than at the
top so that leaves will not catch on the music-rack when turned over.
3. Imperial morocco cloth should be used for covering. If hard usage is
expected half cowhide, with sides of some kind of washable cloth, is
preferable.
4. Part music for various instruments or solos with accompaniment must
have one strong binding for the part which takes the most space, with
pocket on the inside of the back cover to hold the other parts. If these
are bulky compensating guards should be inserted in the back of the
book.
BOOKS OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Every library finds it necessary to bind a few books, such as Racinet's
"Le costume historique," which have very little text and a great number
of illustrations. It is evident that the illustrations in such books are
most useful if kept in unbound form in portfolios, but when kept in such
a way they are likely to be lost, torn, mutilated or misplaced.
1. Each plate should be guarded with thin, tough paper and the guards
overcast.
This insures a good strong sewing; in addition the guard forms a hinge
where it meets the plate and the plate will lie flat and can easily be
examined when the book is opened.
2. Because of the artistic nature of such books, they should be bound in
one-half morocco, taking extra care to see that acid-free leather is
used.
3. Canton flannel and bands, or tapes, should be inserted between split
boards. If the book is very heavy, it would be wise to line the back
with duck or a flesher rather than with canton flannel.
COMMERCIAL BINDING FOR REFERENCE BOOKS
While they are not a part of library binding, it may not be amiss to
include specifications for commercial binding of heavy reference books,
such as dictionaries, cyclopedias, etc. It is done with the hope that
librarians will exert pressure upon the publishers to induce them to
adopt these or other specifications which will produce equally good
results.
1. Four tapes should be used in sewing; the tapes must extend on each
side of the book at least two inches. The book should contain as many
stitches as possible, using the best four-strand cotton thread. The
thickness of the thread will depend somewhat upon the number of pages in
a signature. Books should be sewed "all along" with no splitting of
signatures at head or tail.
2. First and last signatures should be reinforced inside and outside of
the fold with a strip of strong, thin muslin which passes around the
outside of the end papers. The English cloth called jaconet is the best
for this purpose.
3. The second signature and the next to the last should be reinforced
with muslin on the inside of the fold.
4. The end papers should also be lined on the inside.
5. Illustrations should be guarded with muslin which is folded around
the next signature.
6. Books should be lined with a medium grade of canton flannel, with the
fuzzy side to the back and extending from one-half inch from the head to
within one-half inch of the tail of the book, lapping over at least two
inches on the side.
7. The flannel, together with the tapes, should be inserted between
split boards.
8. Over the canton flannel, but not extending over to the sides, there
should be pasted a good quality of linen, rope or manila paper of
sufficient thickness to make the book firm. In putting on this lining
paper paste instead of glue must be used.
9. Volumes should have French joints.
10. The best quality millboard of suitable thickness with rounded
corners should be used.
11. Leather should be made, if possible, according to the specifications
of the London Society of Arts. Niger morocco is probably the best.
Volumes should have leather corners as well as backs.
12. For cloth sides, Winterbottom's Imperial morocco cloth, Bancroft's
Legal buckram, or Holliston's Library buckram should be used.