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kissdadookie Inner circle 4275 Posts |
Wasn't sure where to post this but it made sense to post this in the books section I guess. So, I took off the shelf my Maurice Fogel book last night to look something up, I haven't touched that book in years. What I noticed was that the pages of the book formed a drooping arch (so if you look at it head on between the covers, the bottom forms essentially a U whilst the top is concaved, if that makes any sense). I was able to level out the pages somewhat by pressing the pages as a unit (book closed of course) towards the opposite end. It appears that the top half of the binding is straight (where the piece of cloth thing is typically on hardcover books) whilst the bottom formed with the spine of the book (the spine is naturally curved, so if you can picture it, the top where the pages meets the spine is effectively straight leaving a gap between the pages and the spine whilst the opposite end, the bottom of the book, the pages are formed with the spine).
So my question is, how do folks store their heavier books? Is this normal? Should I be periodically be turning my books over end on end so that they get some time on the shelf upside down rather than right side up so that something like this does not happen? Thoughts? |
Ray Haining Inner circle Hot Springs, AR 1907 Posts |
There's not much you can do about it. It's the way books are made today. That little cloth piece you see at the top of the binding is fake. It used to be down the whole spine of the book, but today it's just a little piece of cloth made to look like books used to be made. It serves no other purpose. In fact, most manufacturers of books today (and I'm not just talking about magic books) don't even bother with the fake cloth anymore.
Also, books used to be composed of sewn signatures. Not anymore. Maybe some deluxe editions are still made the way books used to be made, but there can't be many. |
kissdadookie Inner circle 4275 Posts |
Dammit. I really liked the Fogel book.
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Ray Haining Inner circle Hot Springs, AR 1907 Posts |
I can understand being into the aesthetics of books, but it's readable, no?
I was told by a bookseller that that piece of cloth is fake, but I was looking at some books and it seems that the cloth appears on both the top and bottom. Perhaps someone else on the Café more knowledgeable of books than I am can chime in here. |
kissdadookie Inner circle 4275 Posts |
They are very readable. I was more concerned about the long term integrity of the joints and spine. LoL. I believe you are right in regards to the strip of rope/fabric on top by the edge of the pages by the spine. They appear both on top and bottom, some books I’ve checked in my collection are indeed glued (you can tell since you can visibly see the glue) even though they have the bit of fabric on the edge by the spine. There are some others in my collection for which I know are sewn because you can visibly see the stitching between pages (the Johnny Thompson booms were produced in this fashion).
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Rachmaninov Inner circle 1076 Posts |
I have a few books which are 150 years old and they are in perfect condition. Unfortunately, magic books nowadays don’t seem to be of the same quality. On some books, I can see the glue. Sometimes, a book breaks : the glue cracks between two bunches of pages. Of course it is readable but for the price tag, it is disappointing.
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magic.42 New user USA 72 Posts |
About 30 years ago I asked a librarian a similar question and she told me if you close the book with the back flat and pretty much level to the ground, the pages (body of the book) will lay back toward the spine evenly . Once the book is closed the friction of the paper will hold it properly in place. Then lay it flat or griped in firmly between other books. I’ve found that books not supported tend to disfigure a bit over time. This comes from someone who has collected over 2200 magic books over a 50 year span of time, so far. It’s working for me. Also, I store my comb bound books in file cabnet (the drawers go left to right, not front to back) saddled over one side of a hanging folder hanger, paying close attention the book goes in with the wire support in the center of the book. The staple bound (Manuscripts and saddle stapled books) go in the files. A log of the books is kept in a searchable Word Document. This helps stopping me from buying duplicate copies, as I have in the past.
Hope this helps, |
kissdadookie Inner circle 4275 Posts |
Quote:
On Sep 9, 2018, magic.42 wrote: Explain, so just lay the book down flat rather than upright? |
magic.42 New user USA 72 Posts |
It is better to lay a book flat than up-right with out support. When one goes to a publc library, the books are on spring loaded shelves to place slight pressure between the books. This clamping action keeps the pages of the book bound - suspended in place. Without this pressure between the books, the body (pages) of the book have a clearance beneath them to fall (droop). So yes, you can store books flat, but still close them properly. They can be stacked flat in piles, but I personally recommend that if you choose to stack them, make sure their the same size or get smaller as you stack them. This will help keep them from bowing. I only stack them when their not on my bookshelves. Note: Comb bound books when stacked should be alternated so the combs hange off on opposite sides (left-right or front-back). In this way the bodys of the books lay flat and with no pressure is on the comb itself. Back when I would stand my comb bound books on the shelf, I cut a piece of cardboard ( from a cardboard box ) the size of the larger of the two books and place it between them. This assisted in removing the pressure on the comb binding. By doing this, the spiral bound books would stand straight and I could turn the comb so the back would face out. This allowed me to print the a single line title on the computer, cut the title strip out, and place it on the back of the comb, beneath a piece of transparent tape. I could now identify what the book was without having to pull it out and look.
Hope I didn't over answer your question. Take Care |
The Magic Cafe Forum Index » » Books, Pamphlets & Lecture Notes » » Question on proper storage of books. (2 Likes) |
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