How to Repair Damaged Books

Save that Book!

Although the internet has made books less appealing to some, books are still very much in demand, especially classic books and books that are used on a regular basis. There are some books people refer to again and again, such as dictionaries or medical books. Books that are opened time and time again eventually become worn, and they sometimes fall apart beyond repair. Don't wait for a book to fall apart before trying to repair that book, and don't just simply throw away books with loose covers, loose spines, cracked end papers, and loose or ripped pages. Damaged books can be fixed or repaired easily. Once a book is properly repaired, it can provide many more years of textual information. Try the following methods for repairing a damaged book and you'll save that book from a premature death in the recycling bin.

Reattaching Loose Pages

To fix a loose page within a book, cut a 1/4 inch wide strip of matching paper that's the same length of the page requiring repair. Fold the strip of paper evenly in half. Crease the paper on the fold, and apply white clear drying glue to the back of the strip. Place half of the paper strip on the unattached page, and the other half of the strip on the following page. Place a sheet of waxed paper inside the closed book to protect the book from seepage while the glue dries.

Mending Torn Pages

When the page of a book rips, many people just use a piece of tape to repair the tear. Taping a page usually isn't a permanent fix. Tape becomes discolored and eventually loses its adhesive property. You can mend a torn page that will make the tear virtually invisible.