Reading, as they say, is a good habit. Keeping books in good condition is even better. We have all, at some point, collected books, read them and kept them in a pile, to be sorted later. But, as the number of books increases, so do the steps needed to maintain them.
Here’s a list of dos and don’ts to keep your books in prime condition.
Always put on a jacket
Put on a jacket, not for yourself, but for your books. Even if the book is a paperback, it needs a jacket. The easiest jacket you can choose is a newspaper. But if that doesn’t suit the aesthetics of your book, you can opt for plastic covers or even chart papers we all once used for school projects.
A simple wrap with paper and tape does wonders for the book’s longevity.
The cover protects the book from stains and creates far fewer creases on the cover. Once you are done with the book, you can always remove the cover or replace it with a new one.
Keep your books in a dry place
Moisture is a sworn enemy of books! It is always better to choose a room that does not have leakage or damp walls.
Choose a bookshelf that is at least a foot off the floor. This will prevent the books from getting any water spilt on them as well.
In case the books do get wet, the best way to dry them is under a fan. Do not dry them in the sun, as the sun's rays can discolour the pages, loosen the binding of the book and make new books look medieval.
Not all bookworms are good
No matter how good the quality is, paper is home to book lice (moths and silverfish), which love munching on it.
The tiny holes in old books are signs of infestation.
You can prevent these infestations by keeping the books in a dry and cold space. But if your books do get infested, there are various ways to get rid of such insects.
Tobacco leaves are a sure-shot way to get rid of insects. You can tear a single leaf into small pieces and place them sparingly in a book. Within a week, the book will be rid of book lice.
Isolate the books that have been infested, and then start treating them.
Store them carefully
Keeping books in an upright position is a good idea. Store your books vertically in sturdy shelves and use bookends so they do not lean. Shelve books of approximately the same size together so they will support one another. Else, volumes become distorted, and covers lose their shape.
Store large volumes, such as atlases, flat (horizontally). This will keep the covers flat and the text from separating from the covers.
Handle with care
Handle books gently to avoid separating covers and spine pieces from the binding.
Do not ‘dog-ear’ or turn down the corners of pages. That will leave a permanent crease in the paper, and the corner may break off if the paper is weak and brittle.
Use a thin piece of paper or a length of ribbon as a bookmark. Do not use metal devices that clip over the tops of pages or anything thick, since they can tear and distort paper.