How To Identify Fragile And Damaged Materials

If either the cover or the textblock of a book is damaged, the item has a reduced life span. If the item is worth keeping, it should be repaired, boxed, reformatted, or replaced to ensure long-term patron access. Items which circulate can sustain hard use. It may be in the best interest of a fragile book to limit or curtail its circulation.

A book which is shipped via ILL or back and forth to the Annex must survive not only the patron's use, but also the shipping process. Consider the extra physical wear on the item, including how to appropriately package the item for shipping.

What does fragile or poor condition mean? Here is a short checklist. If any one of these is evident, the item should be considered for in-house use only.

• yellow or brittle paper
• multiple loose/torn pages
• weakened/broken stitching
• failed adhesive
• torn hinges, inside or out
• covers separated from the text
• torn endpapers inside the covers
• torn reinforcing cloth that holds the cover and pages together
• deteriorating leather
• spine torn or hanging loosely
• missing or mutilated pages

How much damage to the cover?

If the torn or broken portion is actually separating from the pages, the book is in danger of falling apart. Repair first or limit its circulation and repair after the item is returned.

How much damage to pages in the textblock?

If multiple pages are falling out because the spine glue or stitching failed, the book is in danger of falling apart and portions lost. If the pages are breaking out because of brittleness, the book is already beyond repair and needs a protective enclosure. Both cases require repair/boxing first or limiting the circulation and repairing afterwards.

How to test for brittle paper

Choose a lower corner from a page in the middle of the book. Carefully fold and crease the corner (approximately 1/2") in one direction, then the other. Tug slightly. If it doesn't break off, do again in the same spot. If it still feels strong after the second double fold, the paper is not yet brittle. If the paper has yellowed, that is a sign the paper will become brittle shortly.