Book repair and preservation for book collectors

Ok, you've started building your book collection. But how do you keep all those books in prime condition? How do you clean up that special yard-sale find or library leftover? Bern Marcowitz, co-author of The Care and Feeding of Books Old and New: A Simple Repair Manual for Book Lovers, offers solutions for maintaining your collection with these educational articles below.

Need a simple reference for book buying and collecting? Check out our Glossary of Book Terms.

Book repair guides:

How to protect your book collection from fire and water damage.  An entertaining and helpful guide to protecting your treasured book collection from the ravages of fire and water damage from Bern Marcowitz, renowned book care and preservation expert.

How to clean and repair library books, removing card pockets and library stamps.  An informational and entertaining how-to on removing ex-library markings from books, including card pocket removal and removing library labels and stamps.

How to clean, repair and protect book dust jackets and covers.  A simple, informative guide to clean, repair and protect book dust jackets.

How to clean used books.  A complete guide to the simple art of cleaning books in a safe restorative way, inclduing how to use common household products to clean used books.

How to clean leather books.  A how-to guide on cleaning and preserving your leather bound books in a cost-effective way without further damaging or deteriorating fragile bindings.

How to protect books from mold or mildew.  A tutorial on protecting your book collection from the effects of mold and mildew.

How to protect books from light. A guide to preventing UV rays from damaging your books' covers.

Book terminology and definitions.  An explanation of the most commonly misunderstood phrases in book collecting terminology. 

Avoiding book-related sickness.  A guide to avoiding book-related illnesses caused by allergies to mold and mildew.