Book Repair on a Budget: Spine Repair

The spine of a book takes a beating as it is shelved and unshelved, read and reread, and tossed into bags for easy transport. This is a demonstration of how to replace just the spine of the book.
UPDATE: I am so sorry that I didn't see the comments and questions below until much later. The glue is PVA (polyvinyl acetate). You can use regular white school glue, such as Elmer's, as it dries clear and remains flexible once dry. For a more archival version, search for neutral pH PVA. Here is a link for some resources: uncg.libguides.com/preservati...

[@karim.531]

Thank you! I was just gifted a very old cookbook with a spine that's falling apart and now I feel confident enough to fix it!

[@mwilliams7692]

I came here looking for a different kind of spine repair. But stayed for the whole thing anyway. Nice video.

[@evanspark1510]

wow you are amazing and truely a professional perfectionist!

[@moonbeholder]

Very informative! I love learning things like this about everyday objects that you don’t often give a second thought. And repairing and extending the life of something that many people would throw away is a big plus! 😀

[@tbrown6559]

This is one of the best tutorials I’ve ever seen!

[@marcisaacs9407]

You are an absolute champion. You had a very good teacher.

[@martinthatsall1518]

Excellent video, I learned a lot from it. I would be inclined to replace the headbands at the same time as these are almost impossible to fit later. Also, it's very much easier and more accurate to measure in millimetres. I am embarking on the conservation and repair of 12 rare and valuable volumes against which professional bookbinders quoted vast sums. I reckon I've got a pleasurable month's worth of work ahead of me with an almost zero materials cost. Many thanks UNCG.

[@richardperry9764]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who found the use of imperial measurements distracting - but otherwise really useful.

[@ImnotChuck.]

Good job on the instructions and on the actual book repair. I have some books in similar and worse condition that I may need to repair, and this will really help. Thanks.

[@annekevangorkum]

Really...such good professionnel tuto, clear, fast, very interesting. I have two dictionnaries to repair and with this video I will start doing it. Thank you so much.

[@ciaran6171]

Quite a cliff-hanger ending!

[@uncgarchives]

I am so sorry! I didn't know it would get clipped at 30 minutes.

[@johnmcmillan7358]

Excellent video. Nice descriptions of what you are doing and presented in a timely manner.

[@claudiaschmitz3094]

Amazing tutorial! Very clear and simple, thank you for sharing!

[@carolperron9285]

This is a great repair technique for repairing my old book. Thanks you so much.

[@imageskj1]

Excellent information and presentation. Thank you!

[@sasantarom]

Excellent job. Very excited to see that it's from lovely Greensboro!

[@davidgortega3734]

super beautiful video! many thanks! Only one nitpick: was abruptly terminated, I wish she showed her marvellous work at the end.

[@HannaARTzink]

Amazing instruction, very helpful. Thank you so much. Oh, and I lover the sound of birds in this vid...

[@johnwallack4661]

Thank you! Very clear description. I used it as a guide to repair the spine on a 1908 book. I think placing the new material under the old on the coverworked out for the best on my repair, as there was a design on the cover.

[@ecollen]

This is an excellent description. Thank you.

[@ZeeZeeTope]

This was SO interesting! Thank you! It’s beautiful.

[@tomhatzenbuhler9463]

WONDERFULLY DONE!!! VALUABLE INFORMATION FOR BOOK-LOVERS. THANKS SO MUCH!

[@P.S.333]

Very precise tutorial. Thank you, sister!

[@mohamadyasinowadally8564]

Hi! Just to tell you, i have learnt a lot from you video. Thanks for sharing a beautiful craft in the best way..

[@gyutarodaki53]

Thank you SO MUCH!!! My encyclopedia is literally falling apart and I really needed this!

[@elviramcintosh9878]

A detailed and well presented video, thank you. Greetings from Australia.

[@TheMatthew393]

Thank you for this thorough walk through, very helpful!

[@apoloniorodriguez7251]

Excelente guía de reparación del lomo. Muy bien explicado. Gracias.

[@jayroland9481]

Excellent tutorial, thank you.

[@clementinabakervallot3950]

Excellent instructions and very interesting thank you!

[@bradleyleben7785]

Excellent work.👍

[@stureid5928]

I bought the right kind of glue to fix a Dickens novel. Had I not watched your video I would have made a REAL mess. Thank You..Stu

[@NM-zz2no]

Excellent instruction. Thank you

[@rizwansharif1]

this one was done really well. Excellent. And subscribed.

[@irmaramirez4555]

Wow! You are brilliant! Great video!

[@picklesnoutpenobscott3165]

Thank you for this, I have to do this exact repair on a book I love. Now, I know how. Got to find black starch filled book cloth!

[@martinthatsall1518]

I join with you in your thanks for this excellent tutorial.

[@stuarts7x]

Great video. Just completed an old cook book that my mothers loved, 🙂

[@nivaldomacale7705]

Parabéns! Seu trabalho é perfeito.

[@toraconsolo6282]

Really helpful video! Thanks

[@janefan1216]

Thank you for this video! Two of my dad's favorite books have torn and the covers are coming off. One is a newer hardback and I don't know how that's happened so quickly. The other is a complete works of Poe from when I was a child, and is alsona favorite lf mine. Like an old friend. It will be wonderful if I can save them. ❤️

[@CoulterBlackburn]

Excellent presentation, thank you.

[@cathyblock6197]

Thank you, just the info that I needed.

[@OtterLakeFlutes]

Interesting and thanks. Lifting existing book cloth up instead of trimming off board and going over it looks better, here, then elsewhere. Also, I learned the "spine" is part of the book case or cover (I was thinking of the edge binding or text block spine)

[@dwklug]

When I saw the title of the video I thought I would water until it came out as a book. 8-) Thanks for the well-done video.

[@telosfd]

Books healing, really enjoy it.

[@freebird1118]

Great job. You made that look too easy. I am sure I could make a real mess of it. Me and glue do not get along. Thanks for sharing.

[@shazkhaliq2696]

Amazing info thanks so much.

[@colinsmith6116]

I like the spine repair, but myself, I would have lifted the top of the endpapers next to the spine so that I could glue the tags over and underneath the endpaper to hide them.

[@uncgarchives]

Thank you so much for your comment and I am so very sorry for my very late reply. These videos were originally created for school media specialists to provide a quick and inexpensive way to repair books and get them back into circulation. So, details like lifting the card pocket were not demonstrated. In the conservation lab, I would lift both the pocket and the pasted down endsheet to tuck the bookcloth underneath. That is a little more complicated though, so I tried to keep it simple. Very fair comment though!

[@judith0traherne]

What I noticed is, when you e.g. lifted the old front cover cloth to slide the new spine underneath, the book cloth actually became separated from the rest of the cloth wrapped around the edge of the boards. But because you had those tabs on either side of the spine, when they were glued down, they now protected the edge of the boards.So I guess you want to make sure that the amount you lift is not greater than the width of the tabs?

[@creolelady182]

Great video

[@linda9731]

Great tutorial. Thank you for taking the time to show us. Question: what is the adhesive you used to prepare the new spine?

[@giftsfromthegarden]

Thank you for sharing

[@StephenLyons-tl8ie]

Very nice!!

[@sahinurislam8393]

So nice

[@KansanWolf]

Great video! Where did you get the spatula? It looks very handy!

[@arizonatumbleweeds628]

Great job!! thank you for sharing this!!! :-)

[@ld8258]

Great video. I do have one question regarding the tabs. Could you lift the inside cover paper at the top and bottom with your spatula and hide the tabs under the paper?

[@armudbaheev5540]

Спасибо за видео! Было интересный. Хороший способ восстановления книги.

[@hiker64]

Thanks for the great video. Unfortunately since the videos are trimmed to exactly 30 minutes, we lose the end part of the video. Not sure if anyone is responding to questions, but I am curious about the decision to fold the fabric tab over the card pocket instead of removing the card pocket first.

[@picklesnoutpenobscott3165]

I was thinkng that too. My guess would be - lift the inner liner page, but that might be thinner and more difficult.

[@uncgarchives]

Thank you so much for your comment and I am so very sorry for my very late reply. This was one of the first videos I had created and I did not realize it would be clipped at 30 minutes. These videos were originally created for school media specialists to provide a quick and inexpensive way to repair books and get them back into circulation. So, details like lifting the card pocket were not demonstrated. In the conservation lab, I would lift both the pocket and the pasted down endsheet to tuck the bookcloth underneath. That is a little more complicated though, so I tried to keep it simple. Very fair question though!

[@MarkKirkwood]

Wow, good eye...you make it very easy to understand how to make a binding repair...I have a very old leather bound book that I will now attempt to ruin :p

[@floranse5205]

I have a book from 1921 thats in pretty rough shape. The outside and spine have completely come off after a bit of freezing treatment from bugs. The linen is also holding onto dear life, but I don't have replacement available for that. Is the linen washable? Also, the outside of the book seems to be losing colour as the cover is turning into red dust from handling. Is there a way to protect the cover but still use it for the book? I would rather not replace it with new material. Thank you if you reply! This video was still very helpful🧡

[@slarsen6653]

Bless you!

[@Teutoburg09]

What adhesive are you using? I bought a 20 volume set of rare books, that I am excited to start restoring. I am afraid to use straight PVC in case I make a mistake and ruin it. I would also like to make it so a real conservator in the future can fix any mistakes I might make. I am also concerned that pure starch might not be strong enough for spine repair. Thank you!

[@elizabethrios2129]

Awesome job loved it,i will repair my bible.Thanks for sharing

[@elizabethrios2129]

Is there a part 2?

[@someonespadre]

I have 2 books of mathematical tables from the 1950s with one edge of the spine cover loose. One is a very large book of 10 place natural trig functions that I just received, I think the condition is decent except one loose edge the other is more normal size, same issue. These books saw heavy use during their heyday. I have other ones which have held together better.

[@danel3792]

The paper used for spine cover is so beautiful. What is the name of this paper ?

[@johannambolton]

I love this video ... it's so useful! However, the video was cut off before you could tell about supplies. I'm having a difficult time getting book cloth, especially. You're just two states north of me, and obviously have a source. Would you please share this information?

[@uncgarchives]

Thank you so much for your comment and I am so very sorry for my very late reply. This was one of the first videos I had created and I did not realize it would be clipped at 30 minutes. Here are a couple of sources: www.talasonline.com/Buckram-Bookcloth OR www.dickblick.com/products/books-by-hand-book-cloth/?clickTracking=true&wmcp=pla&wmcid=items&wmckw=12845-5089&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl7qSBhD-ARIsACvV1X1i1-UKPO5p78-nrOOxKBSUR6kud00P76W_oQZOKag2raOFmjT3ujkaAosmEALw_wcB

[@robertdonnell8114]

Thank you very much. Some helpful feed back: Repetitious parts can be fast-forwarded though and explanations of things that do not photograph well can be drawn on white board.

[@emsee8432]

Seeing in real time is key to really understanding.

[@uncgarchives]

Thank you so much for your comment and I am so very sorry for my very late reply. This was one of the first videos I had created and I did not realize it would be clipped at 30 minutes. These videos were originally created for school media specialists to provide a quick and inexpensive way to repair books and get them back into circulation. So, I was trying to keep it simple. Thanks for that suggestion to use a white board for steps that don't photograph well or are difficult to explain. I appreciate it very much!

[@alklassen5035]

Might try working in mm for ease and accuracy

[@chrisnewman9693]

No measurement system is more accurate than another, but I agree mm are easier than fractions of an inch

[@jayroland9481]

Regards the 'grain' of paper which you mention, most of my books are from 17thC to mid 19thC and are printed on hand laid paper. Does the paper in these books have a 'grain' to it?

[@kitiowa]

I have a very large world atlas that has a broken spine. Most of the materials suggested here are considerably smaller than the length of the book from top to bottom. Any suggestions for addressing this? Thank you.

[@patriciajohnson1944]

Where did you purchase the white spatula you are using? Love to get one! Thank you

[@uncgarchives]

Here's a link and so sorry for the VERY late reply: www.webstaurantstore.com/7-3-4-polypropylene-sandwich-spreader-with-webstaurantstore-logo/176SS7WEB.html?GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KCQjwl7qSBhD-ARIsACvV1X2Q8XLb-0ALrU9u_Ap52L_rTZAw78VCCKN9qyUw4N9hsAMpSmLfTlMaAm4UEALw_wcB

[@bobbiblair9412]

I have a old Bible from the 1800s never seen one like it in 12 yrs is like to get the covet back on I dropped it and its so heavy the cover fell off help

[@fair2middlin]

This video is better than I can do. However, the top and bottom spine cords must have been left in? Also, the glue in the tab fold-overs without wax paper may bond with the front and back pages. I heard construction background noise.

[@desclarke5798]

Very good instructive video.........I would have trimmed the outer flaps a bit more before setting them into the inside of each cover

[@uncgarchives]

Thank you so much for your comment and I am so very sorry for my very late reply. These videos were originally created for school media specialists to provide a quick and inexpensive way to repair books and get them back into circulation. So, I tried to keep things simple. You are correct that wax paper would be a great idea! Apologies for the construction noise.

[@uncgarchives]

@@desclarke5798 Yes, I was trying to keep it simple. In actual practice, I usually lift the pasted down endsheet and tuck the flaps underneath for a neater repair.

[@isrmcurator]

I'm wondering why you needed to remove the 'turn in'?

[@nancyrhoads5609]

And suggestions for mending a 1/2 inch torn spine without replacing? And a torn page I need to tape together. Both are old genealogy books.

[@jorelkent567]

Do not use masking tape use paper a strip of thin paper

[@uncgarchives]

Check out our other videos to find one about repairing torn pages. I'd have to see the 1/2 inch book to really make a good suggestion. It is a little more complicated to repair a spine without replacing it, unless you simply tape it or something like that. I am not recommending tape, just saying that it can get complicated to repair a spine. Sorry, as I'm sure that isn't the answer you were looking for.

[@ericdevlin6172]

Great video....But what about when the outer layer of the spine is too damaged. I ask because I have an extraordinary collection of over one hundred first editions that had all their spines singed in a Fire! Valuable books but all the spines (leather for the most part - 100yr old books) are ruined. Otherwise books are in excellent condition

[@user-kw5qv6zl5e]

You mention adhesive What is it ?

[@avtarbhogal7024]

Hello i would like to know what kinda glue you are using plz thanks

[@alklassen5035]

Probably PVA

[@uncgarchives]

So sorry for the VERY late reply. Yes, PVA. You can use simple white school glue, like Elmer's, or a more archival version. For the latter, search for neutral pH PVA.

[@jeffreycrawley8094]

What happened to the "resources"?

[@uncgarchives]

I am SO sorry! I didn't know the video would get clipped at 30 mins. Here is a resource for supplies if you are still interested: uncg.libguides.com/preservationservices/suppliesandtools

[@nameissturdy1390]

Does anyone know what kind of glue she may be using? I don’t think she’s answering people’s questions.

[@tresewelty8011]

what kind of glue

[@Mindbeauty]

Is it possible to repair it instead of replacing it?

[@ethancramer1175]

I would say no because the original spine compromises the integrity of the book.

[@uncgarchives]

Thank you so much for your comment and I am so very sorry for my very late reply. These videos were originally created for school media specialists to provide a quick and inexpensive way to repair books and get them back into circulation. So, I tried to keep things simple. It is sometimes possible to repair spines, but sometimes they have to be replaced all together. It also depends on the value and rarity of the book. I would treat a rare book different from a book in circulation at the library.

[@rebeccaemmanuel8074]

i wonder what kinds of glue he used

[@baronmeduse]

He?

[@JusaKiki]

niceeee

[@tti2Lee]

What is an 1/8 of an inch? 😢

[@pillikoda]

Väga hea töö. Aitähh !

[@BethAdams-lh1rw]

My cookbook from the Holy Spirit is falling apart, and I am nervous, scared, bout what I should do next?

[@jsm1062]

👍👍

[@iriszuckerman9269]

What kind of glue do you use? Thank you!

[@uncgarchives]

So sorry for the VERY late reply - it is a PVA type glue, such as white school glue, Elmer's, etc. For a more archival version, search for neutral pH PVA.

[@supertoast1991]

My spine is split in two 😐

[@savy9380]

Hi

[@elessarsgirl4883]

Why not fold over instead of tucking under the cover? Would look nicer.

[@claressarichardson1374]

My hairs not long, but still grabbable 😂😂

[@Rizwankhatri786]

It was awesome work really you deserve to take a flying kiss 👄👄👄👄

[@WeHaveNoTalentSorry]

Thpinal

[@earnestmcdade602]

🦷

[@roymward1]

Why the annoying music!