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06/08/2005: "How to Care for Your Books"

6/8/05:
10 ways to take good care of your books.

By Alan Eggleston, bookseller

Here are 10 ways to take good care of your books. Remember, books are our friends, and we always take good care of our friends, right?

1. Never leave books in direct sunlight. Sunlight warps coverboards and bleaches colors.

2. Never bend pages wide open. This applies to both hardcover and paperbacks. In addition, never curl back paperback covers.

3. Dust all your books. Dust contains chemicals that can make the paper deteriorate and yellow.

4. Store books in cool, dry places. Best is 60 degrees and 60% humidity, but in general, the lower the temperature and humidity the better for the book.

5. Do not use a book as a hard surface for writing. Writing on top of a book may create marks or dents on the book's cover or pages, which will lower its value.

6. Do not use harsh chemicals or wipes to clean a book or its pages. As soon as you spill on a book, use a dry or slightly moist cloth or paper towel, moistened with luke-warm water, to clean the spill. Let the pages dry before closing the book.

7. Store books upright on the natural bottom edge. Do not lay them flat on their backs across uneven rows of other books. Do not lean books against each other -- use sturdy bookends to keep books straight. Do not pack books tightly together on a shelf -- leave a slight space so you can reach across a book's spine to pull it out -- don't grab a book by the top of the spine.

8. Never turn down page corners to save your place. Instead, use a clean, unmarked piece of paper, leather, or other thin card. Better yet, use an actual bookmark.

9. Never write in a book, especially one you do not personally own. A book will last much longer if it is kept in as prestine shape as the day it was manufactured.

10. Use bookplates to write notes in books that are gifts, and use bookplates to indicate ownership. In addition to your name, print on the bookplate your address and phone number to make returning the book to you easier.

(c) 2005 e-Messenger Consulting Corp. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

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