Stealing Books-A Bookscout's Guide To Book Collecting

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Sections
  Introduction
  Chapter 1
  Chapter 2
  Chapter 3
  Chapter 4
  Chapter 5
  Chapter 6
  Chapter 7
  Chapter 8
  Appendix 1
  Appendix 2
  Appendix 3
  Appendix 4

Chapter 5

Repairing Books

Stickers, labels, tape: If the book has stickers, labels or tape on it, try squirting some light fluid (Naptha) on it. This will usually soften the glue, and allow you to peel the sticker off. There are other types of products that help remove labels, but I have found these are often too harsh, and can stain or smear the ink on the dust jacket. You can pretty much drench the dust jacket in lighter fluid without damaging it. Just don't smoke or use it near an open flame. This will work on most glues.
Some types of glues seem to be water based such as bookplates. These are not as easy to get off. Try folding a paper towel to about the size of the label. Dampen the towel, and lay on the label. The label will become damp, and this will soften the glue soemtime allowing you to peel the label off (though sometimes in pieces). The problem with this is that it will usually leave some residue, or cause some wrinkling of the paper due to the moisture. This is a laast resort, and requires care.

Spine slant:
Sometimes a book will have a slanted spine. This is usually caused by someone roughly reading the book, and pressing the page over to the left after turning the page. What can help improve the appearance of the book is to "read the book backwards". Lay the book open on a table turned to the last page. Turn a few pages to right, and rub your fingers down the crease to press them down. Turn a few more pages, and repeat. Do this till you reach the front of the book. If the spine is really slanted, you might need to do it a few times. After book is reasonable straight, place on shelf firmly held between some other books. This will help set the spine straight, and keep it that way.

Pencil marks:
Erase softly using a gum eraser. Don't use the eraser on the end of a pencil as it is too abrasive, and can damage the book's pages.

Tears on Dustjacket:
NEVER use tape! The glue on the tape will break down over time, and stain the paper. A Better solution is to leave the tear alone, and place the dustjacket in a mylar type cover. This will keep the tear from getting worse, and will often improve the appearance of the dust jacket.

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