No matter how carefully you handle books, sooner or later they will lose their original appearance. Especially valuable specimens that have suffered greatly should be given to a specialist. You can restore the rest of the books yourself.
Instructions
Step 1
Very old books that have been stored in inappropriate conditions can become moldy. This is one of the most difficult problems, and more often than not, it is best to go to a professional. If the damage is not yet very severe, try treating the mold with hydrogen peroxide. Dampen cotton wool with it and collect the mold stain towards the center. Repeat the action several times (changing the piece of cotton wool). Open the cleaned book on the damaged page and expose to fresh air - the paper should dry and ventilate.
Step 2
Small tears on the pages can be sealed with PVA or other glue, which will remain transparent after drying. If you plan to use a glue you don't know about the properties, test it on a piece of any piece of paper. Straighten and align the edges of the tear. Place a piece of rag under the page. Using a soft brush, lightly coat the gap with glue and leave to dry completely.
Step 3
Over a long life span, a book may lose parts of its pages. Place bookmarks on such places. Cut a rectangle or circle out of thin paper of the appropriate color. If the pages of the book have turned yellow from time to time, paint the patch paper with tea or coffee to the desired shade. Lubricate the patch with glue and apply to the damaged area (protect the adjacent page with a cloth or film). Flatten the page, place a piece of cloth, a piece of paper, and a press from books or any other heavy objects on it.
Step 4
If the binding is damaged, see how it was made. If the sheets were simply glued together into a block, apply the glue to the desired area with a cotton swab. The binding, fastened with threads, will have to be disassembled. Usually the sheets are stitched together with notebooks. Open the notebook in the center and cut the threads. Take out the sheets. To reinforce the fold, stick a thin strip of paper over the fold, making sure it won't overlap the text. When the restored sheets are dry, restore the binding. Sew the notebook with a needle-forward seam with strong synthetic threads. The thread should not be too thin or too tight or the paper will be cut. When completing a seam on a notebook, thread the needle through the stitch on the adjacent notebook so that all the blocks are held together.
Step 5
Put the restored notebooks in a pile and coat their spines with a thin layer of glue. Cut out long strips of paper, wrap them around the blocks so that the strips are perpendicular to the spine. Fasten the intersection with the spine with glue, and glue the ends of the strips to the cover. Glue the endpaper cut from thick paper on top.
