[Gutenberg 26672] • Bookbinding, and the Care of Books / A Handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders & Librarians

This book is an illustrated version of the original Bookbinding, and the Care of Books by Douglas Cockerell. “The reasons for binding the leaves of a book are to keep them together in their proper order, and to protect them. That bindings can be made, that will adequately protect books, can be seen from the large number of fifteenth and sixteenth century bindings now existing on books still in excellent condition. That bindings are made, that fail to protect books, may be seen by visiting any large library, when it will be found that many bindings have their boards loose and the leather crumbling to dust. Nearly all librarians complain, that they have to be continually rebinding books, and this not after four hundred, but after only five or ten years.”