- About Bookbinding -

Next to the stamping, comes the labeling of the books to be added to the
library. This is a mechanical process, and yet one of much importance. Upon its
being done neatly and properly, depends the good or bad appearance of the
library books, as labels with rough or ragged edges, or put on askew or
trimmed irregularly at their margins, present an ugly and unfinished aspect,
offensive to the eye of good taste, and reflecting discredit on the management.
A librarian should take pride in seeing all details of his work carefully and neatly
carried out. If he cannot have perfection, from want of time, he should always
aim at it, at least, and then only will he come near to achieving it.
The label, or book-plate (for they are one and the same thing) should be of
convenient size to go into books both small and large; and a good size is
approximately 2 ¼ inches wide by 1 ½ inches high when trimmed. As
comparatively few libraries care to go to the expense, which is about ten times
that of printing, of an engraved label (although such work adds to the
attractiveness of the books containing it) it should be printed in clear, not
ornamental type, with the name of the library, that of the city or town in which it
is located (unless forming a part of the title) and the abbreviation No. for
number, with such other spaces for section marks or divisions, shelf-marks,
etc., as the classification adopted may require. The whole should be enclosed in
an ornamental border-not too ornate for good taste.
The labels, nicely trimmed to uniform size by a cutting machine, (if that is not in
the library equipment, any binder will do it for you) are next to be pasted or
gummed, as preferred. This process is a nice one, requiring patience, care, and
practice. Most libraries are full of books imperfectly labeled, pasted on in crooked
fashion, or perhaps damaging the end-leaves by an over-use of paste, causing
the leaves to adhere to the page labelled-which should always be the inside left
hand cover of the book. This slovenly work is unworthy of a skilled librarian, who
should not suffer torn waste leaves, nor daubs of over-running paste in any of
his books. To prevent both these blunders in library economy, it is only needful
to instruct any intelligent assistant thoroughly, by practical example how. to do
it-accompanied by a counter-example how not to do it. The way to do it is to
have your paste as thin as that used by binders in pasting their fly-leaves, or
their leather, or about the consistency of porridge or pea soup. Then lay the
label or book-plate face downward on a board or table covered with blotting
paper, dip your paste brush (a half inch bristle brush is the best) in the paste,
stroke it (to remove too much adhering matter) on the inner side of your paste
cup, then apply it across the whole surface of the label, with light, even strokes
of the brush, until you see that it is all moistened with paste. Next, take up the
label and lay it evenly in the middle of the left inner cover page of the book to be
labelled, and with a small piece of paper (not with the naked fingers) laid over it,
stroke it down firmly in its place, by rubbing over a few times the incumbent
paper. This being properly done (and it is done by an expert, once learned, very
rapidly) your bookplate will be firmly and smoothly pasted in, with no exuding of
paste at the edges, to spoil the fly-leaves, and to curling up of edges because
insufficiently pasted down.
So much for the book-plate – for the inside of the volumes; now let us turn
attention to the outside label.  This is necessarily very much smaller than the
book-plat is in fact, it should not be larger than three-quarters or seven-eights
of an inch in diameter, and even smaller for the thinner volumes, while in the
case of the very smallest, or thinnest of books, it becomes necessary to paste
the labels on the side, instead of on the back.  This label is to contain the
section and shelf-mark of the book, marked by plain figures, according to the
plan of classification adopted.  When well done, it is an inexpressible comfort to
any librarian, because it shows at one glance of the eye, and without opening
the book at all, just where in the wide range of the miscellaneous library it is to
go.  Thus the book service of every day is incalculably aided, and the books are
both found when sought on the shelves, and replaced there, with no trouble of
opening them.

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