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Home > Departments > Preservation Department > Policies and Procedures Page


 

 

Sheridan Libraries Preservation Department
Johns Hopkins University

GUIDE TO IDENTIFYING DAMAGED BOOKS
AT CIRCULATION


Identifying books in need of repair at circulation is an effective way to maintain the working order of the general collections.  Repairing the early stages of damage will avoid more extensive, expensive, and time consuming treatments later on.  The Sheridan Libraries has two locations which provide preservation services for the general collections:

Preparations Unit & Commercial Binding Office, Milton S. Eisenhower Library (6-8397)
Book Repair Unit, Krieger Hall (6-8380)  

Preservation staff will pick up from the MSEL Circulation Department newly identified items in need of repair and will return repaired items to Circulation every Monday morning.
 
Items described here should be selected for Preservation repair and placed on the Preservation Book Truck at Circulation.  In order to ensure a 2 week turn around time, no more than 100 volumes per week should be selected for Preservation.  Only items with barcodes are to be sent to Preservation or Commercial Bindery Office.  Items without barcodes should be routed to Cataloging to have barcodes added and then returned to Circulation to be placed on the Preservation Book Truck.


MISSING/LOOSE PAGES
Pages that are loose soon become lost.  Patrons that have identified loose or missing pages in a book, should bring this to the attention of Circulation Staff, who will insert a yellow flag (MISSING PAGES) and indicate the pages to be replaced or tipped in by the Commercial Bindery Office.

Missing Pages example 1

Missing Pages 2


 

HINGE REPAIR
If not repaired soon, loose hinges can lead to more severe damage, requiring more resources and time.  Hinge Repair should be directed to the Commercial Bindery Unit for repair.   

 

Hinge Repair damage

Hinge Repair Book Damage 2

Hinge Repair damage 3

     

          

SPINE REPAIR
The spine of a book contains information that allows our patrons to identify items on the shelf, as well as to browse the collections.  Items with torn, damaged or missing spines should be selected for preservation and directed to the Book Repair Unit, so we may facilitate access for our patrons.  

  

Spine Repair Book damage

Spine Repair 2 Book damage

 

 


RECASE    
A book is composed of its covers and its textblock.  If the cover and the textblock have not suffered damage, but the cover has become “detached” from the textblock, either one side or both, the item should be selected for repair by the Book Repair Unit, before the two elements are completely lost or more damage is sustained.    

  

Recase Book Damage

Recase Book Damage 2



REBACK
The cover offers support for the textblock.  Once the cover is compromised, a good useable textblock can soon become unusable.  Items with the textblock in useable condition, but with damaged covers should be selected for repair and routed to the Book Repair Unit.

Reback Example Book Damage

Reback Example Book Damage 2


REBIND
Items without covers and/or which are completely damaged and unusable as they are, should be identified and selected for preservation repair and sent to the Book Repair Unit.

Rebind Example Book Damage

 


EMERGENCY REQUESTS
Accidents do happen to library books while they are being used by patrons.  If a patron returns a book which has suffered either water or mold damage, please contact preservation immediately.

 

WATER DAMAGE

MOLD DAMAGE

Water Damage

Mold Book Damage

 



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