Spotted something weird at the library book sale in Springfield

I was at the annual library sale in Springfield yesterday, digging through the dollar bins. I must have picked up twenty books that had been 'repaired' with clear packing tape over the spines. Not a single one used proper bookbinding tape or even acid-free stuff. It made me wonder how many otherwise good books get ruined by well-meaning but wrong fixes. Has anyone else seen this kind of thing? What's the best way you've found to explain to non-binders why that tape is so bad for the paper?

3 comments

3 Comments

kellyr2024d ago

Yeah, the "well-meaning but wrong fixes" thing is so true. I always tell people that tape gets brittle and stains the paper, so the "fix" actually makes the damage permanent. It's a bummer because it stops anyone from doing a proper repair later.

fionat5524d ago

Honestly, how many of these taped-up things are ever getting a "proper repair" anyway? Most stuff is just sitting in a box. The tape might yellow and look bad, but calling it permanent damage feels a bit dramatic for a birthday card from 1998.

martinez.paul24d ago

My old photos got ruined by tape, so @fionat55, I just scan everything now.