A large percentage of new books entering libraries are now in paperback form, which poses a dilemma to the librarian. Because paperbacks are invariably monographs and generally new, it is impossible to base binding decisions on patterns of use. Expending binding funds on a book that may never be used is wasteful, but not binding paperbacks that may be heavily used risks damage and possible loss. A partial answer to this problem is stiffening and pamphlet casing.
Stiffening
The tools needed for stiffening are a bone folder, scissors, a paper shear (small guillotine), a glue brush, a needle, and linen thread. If a large number of paperbacks must be processed on a regular basis, some thought might be given to investing in a power paper cutter and a gluing machine. The materials for stiffening consist of PVA adhesive, white-lined board approximately 2 millimeters thick, sized cotton hinge cloth cut 1.5 centimeters in width and the height of standard board sizes, and sheets of waxed paper or sheets of plastic. The boards should be bulk cut to six standard sizes: 19.5 x 13 centimeters, 21 x 14 centimeters, 23 x 15 centimeters, 25.5 x 17 centimeters, 28 x 21 centimeters, and 33 x 25 centimeters.
Stiffening begins by sizing paperbacks according to standard board sizes. The covers of the paperbacks are opened and the inner joint creases set with a stroke of the bone folder. Two pieces of hinge cloth are glued and laid down, with the inner joints extending onto the text block by approximately 0.5 centimeters and onto the inside of the cover 1 centimeter.
Two boards of the appropriate size are glued on the unlined surface, and one is laid with the glued side uppermost onto the text block about 0.5 centimeters from the inner joint.
The cover is carefully laid down onto the glued surface and rubbed down with the folder, lightly setting down the outer joint with the folder edge.
A piece of wax paper is laid over the outside of the cover, and the paperback turned over to repeat the process on the other side.
The processed paperbacks are stacked on top of each other and separated by sheets of wax paper to prevent sticking. When the stack is dry, paperback edges may be lightly trimmed on the power paper cutter to make the covers flush, or the protruding edges of boards can be cut off with a hand shear (guillotine).
Pamphlet cases
Pamphlet cases may be constructed or purchased from a vendor for single-section items such as folded brochures. This method requires white-lined boards cut to standard sizes, paper spine strips of any stout paper cut to the height of the boards and 2 centimeters wide, acid-free paper to line the inside of the opened-out case with a margin of 0.5 centimeters, and strips of book cloth 5 centimeters in width and the height of the boards plus a turn-in of 3 centimeters.
The book cloth is glued and the paper spine strip laid onto its center.
The boards are placed onto the glued cloth against the paper spine strip and turned-in at the head and tail.
The glued surfaces are rubbed down with the folder. The lining paper is glued, positioned inside the case, and carefully set down on the spine paper. After the pamphlet case dries and is folded in half, the pamphlet is sewn into the case with a three- or five-hole stitch.
Pamphlet cases can be made in large numbers. The gluing machine can be usefully employed if the work is organized to take advantage of multiple stock cutting and productive hand processing.
