Library propaganda! by Suzy Via Flickr: TGIF! Also, for those curious: the original poster was created by Albert Dorne in 1942 for the US Government Printing Office (which therefore makes it public domain). You can find more great WW2 propaganda posters on Northwestern University’s repository. [The above image is from the Northwestern University repository database of […]
sonofahurricane: npr: conservethis: Roses are red, Violets are blue, If you put tape on your books, I’ll never EVER love you. As a book-lover I support this valentine. -Mabinty can someone explain to me why we hate tape on books? Like book tape (when my mom could spare it) has saved a couple of my […]
This book’s call number label has peeled away, but also took some of the spine’s decoration with it, leaving an interesting pattern on the underside of the label.
Today in the conservation lab…I’m evaluating books from our circulating collection, to determine if we should have them withdrawn or order replacements. These are books that, for some reason, cannot be easily or efficiently repaired. Many of them are brittle, but others are missing many of their pages due to vandalism, or cannot be rebound […]
Artist’s books on display at the Bainbridge Island Art Museum in Washington state. Top to bottom: “Beyond Blue” by Catherine Alice Michaelis “Icarus” by Mare Blocker “Apothecary for the Landlocked” by Deborah Peek “Bugs” by Carolyn Terry “Nuts” by JoAnna Poehlmann
Opening an uncut book, with a paper knife. Whoever had checked this out before it was sent to the lab must not have read very much of it because half of the textblock was uncut, and thus unreadable! (Source: http://bookbindingdictionary.com/)
“Treat books gently; for books are kind friends. We benefit by their advice, and they exact no confessions.” Most of this 100+ year old advice is still good! Some of my favorites are: -“Books are not intended for card-racks or for receptacles of botanical specimens.” -“Books should not be toasted before a fire or be […]
For some good, clean fun…visit the sanitary fair!
Today’s work: a brace of matching re-backs on a biography of architect Daniel H. Burnham.
Disbinding a damaged book, so that I can resew it and then rebind it. It’s strangely therapeutic and relaxing to take a book apart, I’ve found. Putting it back together is the more stressful part for me.