"Dan S. MacAbre" wrote in message news
Here's a no doubt silly question :-) I find that I can hardly open some of my older
books now without the spine cracking, and a few pages falling out. I was just
wondering if there's anything that can be done to prevent this, without boxing them up
in the loft, or something. I was considering rubbing some kind of oil on the back, in
the hope that it might soak in over time, and make the glue a bit more flexible again.
But if course, it also might just make it all gooey, and the pages might be even more
likely to fall out.

Has anyone else found anything that makes their paperbacks last a bit longer?

Paperbacks are mainly "perfect bound". Which means the pages are
stacked together and cut with a guillotine and then a thick layer
of PVA type glue is applied to the back. Once this has dried then
a thicker sheet making up the front cover, spine, and back cover
will be folded and glued onto the spine.

For this reason its always necessary to be very careful when opening
(and reading) paperback books, in fact they should never be opened
fully, as can be sewn books. Basically if there are any creases on the
spine then that book has been opened too far.

While sections with photographs or other illustrations as can be found
in many paperbacks can present problems of their own

Most likely many people reading paperback books don't appreciate this
or abide by these conditions. Which are only mainly of interest to people
who collect books. The majority of paperbacks which can be bought
second hand in good uncreased condition have most likely never been
read.

As to your question there's no real solution. In the past when buying
a reading copy of a scare non fiction paperback title I've had to
settle for a copy with a badly cracked spine and loose pages.
From experience I found its well nigh impossible to glue on a
supplementary spine. Possibly with access to a combined bookbinding
press and power guillotine it might be possible, but otherwise not.
Unless you wanted to take up a new hobby, at least.


michael adams


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