Favorite Book Repair Supplies & Tips
In a recent mentoring session, a new librarian asked me how to repair some of the books from her library collection. I shared Demco’s excellent book repair YouTube tutorials, but then she asked me which products I used to repair books in my own library.
These products, tips, and tricks are the MVP’s of my school library’s “book hospital” for fixing broken covers, spines, and pages.
Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, which means if you purchase an item after clicking the link, I will receive a small commission. See Disclosures & Disclaimers for more information.
Additionally, no books were harmed or damaged in the making of this article. Images shown below are stock photos.
Supplies to repair book bindings & spines (inside)
When the whole block of bound pages separates from the spine cover, you have to glue it back in and let it dry in place.
I like to put rubber bands around the book to keep the spine & cover pressed against the text block.
Less expensive, but requires more time & effort
Hot glue gun and glue sticks from Amazon or any craft store
- High temperature works best, or one that has both low and high temp.
- A “full size” one, not a mini one, will give you the most control and smoothest application.
- Use a paper plate to catch hot glue drips from damaging your table while you’re using it or warming it up.
- A stand is nice, but you can also just use the built-in one.
Demco® Norbond® Liquid Plastic Adhesive Glue or Brodart Acid-Free Bind-Art Flexible Adhesive
- A little goes a long way, and spreading it evenly is more important than how much glue is used.
- Most school libraries only need the small 2-4 oz bottle. A smaller bottle makes it easier to apply too.
More expensive, but saves time
Thermobind TB500 Thermal Binding Machine or Demco Cover One Book Repair Machine and Kit
- I’ve never used a machine like this myself, but I have mentoring clients and librarian colleagues who swear by them, and believe they are well worth the investment.
- The Thermobind machine is much more affordable, and it can repair books with up to a 2″ spine.
Check out this video review of it from Librarians Teach seller, Rebeca from The Fox Reads. - Cover One also sells machines directly on their website, but they only go up to 2.5″ spines.
- The Demco-branded Cover One machine can repair books with up to a 3″ spine, plus the kit comes with glue strips, hinge tape, and book repair tape as well.
- The glue strips are sold separately, so don’t forget to order those too, along with some parchment paper.
(Thank you to commenter Shanna for the tip to use parchment paper, not wax paper, as I originally wrote.)
Supplies to repair book covers & spines (outside)
If a book has been chewed by a pet, it’s not salvageable. Just weed it, even if it’s just one corner.
For minor damage or just wear-and-tear of covers, such as the top of the spine starting to pull away from the book, the solution is to smooth over the damage to extend the book’s circulation “life” and to prevent further damage.
Less expensive, but takes longer to apply
Demco® Premium Book Tape or Scotch® Book Tape
- The 3″ wide rolls are what I use most. One roll of 4″ wide is nice for thicker books if you need to reinforce the whole spine.
- Book tape is an essential book repair tool that every school library needs!
- Buying in bulk can sometimes save money, especially when paying with a purchase order.
More expensive, but saves time
If you are fixing books “on the fly” during checkout time, then label protectors are the easiest way to do repairs quickly. Just stick them over the damaged corner or edge when a student is checking out the book.
Label protectors are the clear “stickers” that cover a spine label or barcode on a library book. They extend at least 1/4″ to 3/8″ all around the labels to keep them from peeling.
Demco® Clear Non-glare Label Protectors or Label-Lock™ Rounded Corner Premium Label Protectors (also on Amazon)
- Matte or non-glare coatings are best for applying directly to the cover. Glossy label protectors are great for fixing tears in the mylar dust jacket cover.
- My library use Avery address labels to print barcodes (30 per sheet), and I liked the 1.5″ x 3.25″ size, or the 1.75″ x 4.5″ size. When it doubt, order a size up than you think you need.
- Just like the book tape, ordering in bulk can save money.
Supplies to repair torn or ripped book pages
Small rips and tears can be fixed with book tape or another acid-free, archival-quality tape.
If several pages are ripped out, however, it’s probably best to weed it.
Demco® Premium Book Tape or Scotch® Book Tape
- The 3″ wide rolls are what I use most. One roll of 4″ wide is nice for thicker books if you need to reinforce the whole spine.
- Book tape is an essential book repair tool that every school library needs!
- Buying in bulk can sometimes save money, especially when paying with a purchase order.
Filmoplast® P Paper Book Mending Tape
- I used this archival-quality tape occasionally, and and once smoothed down with a paper bone, it is almost invisible and very strong!
- A bit more expensive than the regular book tape, but gives a much nicer, matte finish.
When a book’s fly pages are tearing away from the binding, you can reattach it with glue and/or hinge tape. This will reinforce the connection between the inside over and the block of bound pages.
Demco® Tyvek® Hinge Tape with Liner or Easy Bind® Tyvek® Book Repair Tape (or clear version)
- The 1.25″ wide tape is best for general use, and will meet most (if not all) of your school library needs.
- The 1″ wide tape works well on books with less pages, and the 1.5″ wide tape is best for very thick chapter books.
Do you have a favorite book repair tip or product you like?
Share it in the comments, or contact me if there’s something I missed here.
Be sure to use parchment paper not wax paper when using the CoverOne machine (or similar).
Thank you, Shanna! You’re right that I meant parchment paper, but wrote the wrong thing. I corrected it in the post now.