Re: TO BIND OR NOT TO BIND

[eric sederholm <sederholm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>This has been "lifted"from exlibris. Anyone care to respond?
>
>Peter
>
>%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
>
>Date:    Tue, 31 Oct 1995 16:17:26 EST
>From:    Jami Peelle Kenyon College <peelle@xxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: TO BIND OR NOT TO BIND
>
>Dear Friends and Colleagues:
>
>I would like to impose on you for some advice.  I'm realatively new at this
>and would hate to do something terribly stupid.
>
>We have a two volume set of "The British Gallery of Portraits..."
>London: Printed for T.Cadell, in the Strand, bookseller to the Royal Academy,
>by J. M'Creery, Tooks Court. 1822
>2v.  ports. 42.5x35cm.
>
>The bindings, particularly the spines (one of the text blocks is split in
>to three), have been badly damaged.  One of them
>has a broken corner, and the red leather has been pocked, I am guessing from
>the two volumes being stored together in at some point rather moist conditions
>causing them to stick together.  The set is important to us because it includes
>portraits of several of the original donors to our college.  In their current
>condition, they can really not be displayed without causing further damage to
>the text block.
>
>A very talented, but to me, expensive bookbinder has given me estimates on
>restoration or total rebinding that are well over $2,000 dollars.  The hinging
>and hand sewing of the single sheet leaves appears to be the major cost.
>Though I could look for a less expensive binder, I can't imagine that the cost
>will go  down much.
>
>Though there are only eleven holdings listed in the NUC, according to the 1994
>American Bookprices, these volumes sold for only $190.
>I was suprised that they went for such a low price.  My quandry is the
>advisablility of spending so much to preserve volumes that are valued so low.
>
>Do any of you that do not have in house conservators have some sort of
>guideline on what treatments you are willing to pay for relative to the value
>of the items being conserved.  It seems a shame to send them off to a
>commercial library binder.  I supppose another poor choice might be to disbind
>them and keep them in a print portfolio?  What would you do?
>
>Desperate for advice,
>
>Jami Peelle
>Special Collections Librarian
>
>Please respond to PEELLE@xxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>|<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
>Peter D. Verheyen                                       <wk> 315.443.9937
>Conservation Librarian                                  <fax>315.443.9510
>Syracuse University Library               <email>pdverhey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>Syracuse University                    <www>http://web.syr.edu/~pdverhey/
>Syracuse, NY 13244                <Listowner>Book_Arts-L@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Have you investigated making a preservation photocopy and having it
bound.It might be a cheaper alternative than a full restoration and provide
a user copy  until bucks or technology become an attractive
alternative.Booklab in Austin Tx does an excellant job and will copy from
bound or loose sheets.Their number is 512-837-0479,fax 512-837-9794 or
email70703.104@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx