- About Bookbinding -

This outer-label system once established, in strict correspondence with the
catalogue, the only part of the librarian’s work remaining to be prescribed in this
field, concerns the kind of label to be selected, and the method of affixing them
to the books.  The adhesive gummed labels furnished by the Library Bureau, or
those manufactured by the Dennison Company of New York have the requisite
qualities for practical use.  They may be purchased in sheets, or cut apart, as
convenient handling may dictate.  Having first written in ink in plain figures, as
large as the labels will bear, the properly locality marks, take a label moistener,
(a hollow tube filled with water, provided with a bit of sponge at the end and
sold by stationers) and wet the label throughout its surface, then fix it on the
back of the book, on the smooth part of the binding near the lower end, and
with a piece of paper (not the fingers) press it down firmly to its place by
repeated rubbings.  If thoroughly done, the labels will not peel off nor curl up at
the edges for a long time.  Under much usage of the volumes, however, they
must occasionally be renewed.
     When the books being prepared for the shelves have all been duly collated,
labeled and stamped, processes which should precede cataloguing them, they
are next ready for the cataloguer.  His functions having been elsewhere
described, it need only be said that the books when catalogued and handed
over to the reviser, (or whoever is to scrutinize the titles and assign them their
proper places in the library classification) are to have the shelf-marks of the
card-titles written on the inside labels, as well as upon the outside.
     When this is done, the title-cards can be withdrawn and alphabeted in the
catalogue drawers.  Next, all the books thus catalogued, labeled, and supposed
to be ready for the shelves, should be examined with reference to three points:
             1st. Whether any of the volumes need re-lettering
             2nd. Whether any of them require re-binding.
             3rd.  If any of the bindings are in need of repair.
     In any lot of books purchased or presented, are almost always to be found
some that are wrongly or imperfectly lettered on the back.  Before these are
ready for the shelves, they should be carefully gone through with, and all errors
or shortcomings corrected.  It is needful to send to the binder.
     1st.  All books which lack the name of the author on the back.  This should
be stamped by the binder at the head, if there is room – if not, in the middle
panel on the back of the book.
     2nd. All books lettered with mis-spelled words.
     3rd. All volumes in sets, embracing several distinct works-to have the name
of each book in the contents plainly stamped on the outside.
4th. All books wholly without titles on the back, of which many are published-
the title being frequently given on the side only, or in the interior alone.
5th. All periodicals having the volume on the back, without the year, to have the
year lettered;.and periodicals having the year, but not the volume, are to have
the number of the volume added.
If these things, all essential to good management and prompt library service,
are not done before the books go to their shelves, the chances are that they
will not be done at all.
The second requisite to be attended to is to examine whether any of the
volumes catalogued require to be bound or re-bound. In any lot of books of
considerable extent, there will always be some (especially if from auction sales)
dilapidated and shaken, so as to unfit them for use. There will be others so
soiled in the bindings or the edges as to be positively shabby, and they should
be re-bound to render them presentable.
The third point demanding attention is to see what volumes need repair. It very
often happens that books otherwise pretty well bound have tom comers, or
rubbed or shop-worn backs, or shabby marbled paper frayed at the sides, or
some other defect, which may be cured by mending or furbishing up, without re-
binding. This a skilful binder is always competent to take in charge; and as in
the other cases, it should have attention immediately upon the acquisition of
the books.

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