Notes on Bookbinding for Libraries

Dana, John Cotton, 1856-1929Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

2.8

Word count: 216K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Notes on Bookbinding for Libraries by John Cotton DanaAuthor: Dana, John Cotton, 1856-1929,Language: English, Class: Z: Bibliography, Library science, Release Date: Nov 25, 2014

Editor's review

This short volume gathers John Cotton Dana's practical notes on library binding. It is brief, yet it addresses in concrete terms the relationship between binding, book preservation, and circulation efficiency. Its value lies not in virtuoso binding craft but in a library administrator's discussion of how books should be bound to be durable, economical, and convenient for readers. The book covers specific matters such as material selection, binding methods, and repair of damaged volumes; the prose is plain and marked by professional experience. For today's readers it is both a primary source on early twentieth-century ideas about library binding and a reference for approaches to restoring old books and maintaining collections. It need not be read straight through; it suits casual consultation as a work reference or a piece of book-trade history, yielding more when specific problems are looked up as they arise.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Library practitioners who want to understand early collection binding and maintenance practices
Enthusiasts of rare-book and old-book restoration who need historical reference points
Researchers in book history and publishing history concerned with changing ideas about binding
Collection managers interested in low-cost book preservation approaches
Book-trade professionals with good English reading ability

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking a systematic course in modern binding techniques
General readers who prefer popular narrative or light reading
Readers who need a Chinese translation and are not accustomed to English originals
Hands-on practitioners expecting abundant illustrations and step-by-step demonstrations

Reading tips

First read the table of contents, then closely read the chapters most relevant to your work and skim the rest.
Keep pen and paper to record transferable ideas on binding and repair, then compare them with modern practice.
Keep the book at hand as a reference and consult it chapter by chapter when collection-maintenance problems arise.
If English is difficult, read slowly with a dictionary, focusing on passages about materials and techniques.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no background in binding?

It can be read, but expectations should be adjusted. It is more a collection of notes from a library-management perspective than a step-by-step binding manual. Readers without a background can understand the relationship between binding and book preservation, but should not expect to learn specific techniques from it. It is advisable to learn basic binding terminology first, then browse with questions in mind for smoother comprehension.

Do the binding recommendations in the book still have reference value today?

Some specific materials and techniques have changed with the times, but the thinking on how to balance durability, cost control, and circulation efficiency remains relevant. Readers should treat the practices in the book as historical experience, assess them in light of modern materials and standards, and not copy them directly.

What level of English is needed to read this book?

The original is in English. The sentences are not complex, but specialized vocabulary from binding and library management appears. General English reading ability suffices to grasp the main ideas; consult a dictionary for technical terms. If you only want the core points, prioritize passages on material selection and repair and maintenance.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Dana, John Cotton, 1856-1929 Author · American · 1856–1929

John Cotton Dana (1856–1929) was an American librarian and an important figure in the public library movement, having served as director of the Newark Public Library. Public information about his life is limited, and existing accounts focus mainly on his library career and writings. Two of his works are included here: A Library Primer, an introductory guide for library practitioners on running and serving a library, and Notes on Bookbinding for Libraries, which addresses the binding of library collections and offers practical reference for daily work. Both reflect his practical orientation and his focus on frontline librarians; the writing is concise and useful rather than abstract. His works and views contributed to the professional development of public libraries in his time and remain a reference for understanding early American library practice.