Taking care of your leather bound volumes

I currently have 3 EP books, none of which were purchased directly from EP. However, I have been putting together a decent library of leather bound classics with a mix of Franklin Library, Barnes and Noble, and other publishers. I have yet to come across any particular instructions about caring for these volumes to ensure they last a lifetime. Does the Easton Press impart any tips regarding the care of your library when you subscribe? I did a quick search and found nothing. I live in the South and worry about humidity and exposure to light damaging my library. Any advice would be very welcome.

Thanks

Our threads never seem to stay on topic, which is just fine by me ... but I scribbled down some tips for caring for your Easton Press books in the "I just got ..." thread, which I am re-posting here where they seem better suited. That said ...

If you hold E/P books resting open in your hand for very long the perspiration and/or oils from your skin will cause the gold to wear off and/or to tarnish, particularly on the spine and also on the covers where your fingers support the boards. I try not to hold my books in my bare hands for too long at a time and use a cloth to support the book if I need to hold it open this way for very long.

Any type of water droplet, whoever small, will cause the gilded page edging to deform so it is best to keep your books covered if taking them outdoors and avoid having them near faucets that may splash further than you anticipate.

Regular size books are fine to store upright, though dust will collect on the tops of the pages and cause them to dull in time. A glass storage case helps but a slip case is even better. Short of this, dust them regularly with a feather duster. Again, avoid dusting your shelves with spray cleaners when books are present as the spray mist will disfigure the gilded page edges.

As mentioned by others, extra large books and extra thick books should be stored flat to avoid text block sag. The weight of the pages loosens the binding at the spine and will cause the bottom page edge gilding to wear off near the fore edge end from rubbing on the shelf.

Sometimes the leather from one book will be prone to stick to an adjacent book and colored leather from one will peel off onto another if stored too tightly side by side or stacked with too much weight on them. Ideally, they should have space between them or some non-stick surface between them. I have a few books that I purchased second hand that are extremely tacky. I'm not sure if this is a consequence of the leather E/P used or, more likely, that they were treated with some type of leather cleaner/conditioner. I would not recommend any type of leather treatment products on your books.

Similarly, if you are displaying your books on painted shelves it may be worth your while to purchase a non-stick plastic shelf paper to put between your books and the shelf. Paint from improperly sealed shelved is notorious for sticking to the leather along the bottom boards.

If you are storing your books in boxes, that is whole other story and you need to pay special attention to how you stack and arrange your books to avoid stresses on the spines, warping, rubbing, and other damage common to storing books in boxes.

To preserve the value of your books, do 'NOT' adhere the bookplates that Easton Press gives you with which to deface your books. I realize they are yours and you are welcome to do as you please but just be aware that in so doing you devalue the resale value by at least half, if not more.

The issue of humidity is always a consideration with the preservation of books. While most of us don't have special humidity control systems you ideally want to maintain a consistent humidity level that is not overly humid, i.e. somewhere between 30%- 50%.

Smoke and other foreign air borne particulates will cause the pages to discolor and can give your books a smokey, musty smell that is objectionable to some people. As an ex-smoker, I happen to love it, and stand as close as I possibly can to anyone who still does smoke. However, it is a bit of a tease and I do appreciate even more the smell of new leather than the old, musty smell of second-hand smoke.

While some owners may prefer loose bindings books with tight bindings tend to be more valued by the majority of book collectors. I avoid opening my books further than 120 degrees to avoid stressing or breaking the binding.

Of course, the most common form of damage that you will encounter with E/P books is scaring and scratching the gilded page edges. To avoid or minimize this type of damage never use your fingernail to separate pages and be extremely careful when handling books to avoid bumping or rubbing the page edges against any solid object. You will need to turn pages using the flat surface of your thumb, preferably from just short of the corner of the book to avoid bending the corners or tearing the paper pages.

If you keep these few suggestions in mind for the proper care and handling of your E/P books they will stay in 'Fine', 'Like New', condition for as long as you own them so that someday your children can make a killing selling your cherished collection.

Good advice. I don't know if I missed it in your entry wailofatail but keep your books out of direct sunlight.

Yes, good point. I think I did overlook that. I've noticed that the reds especially have a difficult time with U/V rays, having a high tendency to fade. I would even make an effort to shelf them in a room without windows as the sunlight doesn't necessarily have to be direct. Indirect sunlight will have the same effect; just taking longer to accomplish it.

Fantastic information.

Thank you

I also preserve many of the best volumes in an encased glass shelf, one should be available at a quality furniture store near by. Also, cloth bags for storage on expensive titles. You would be amazed how more protected they will be. One again to be mentioned, heavier thicker books are recommended to be laying flat to avoid bends in the pages & scuffing along the lower gild of pages.

I have read somewhere on LT that enclosed bookcases are not good in climates like the South.

If you keep these few suggestions in mind for the proper care and handling of your E/P books they will stay in 'Fine', 'Like New', condition for as long as you own them so that someday your children can make a killing selling your cherished collection

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This is so funny. The fate of my library has crossed my mind once or twice. I read this part of your post to my wife and she found it hilarious.

>7 indigosky: Having books in an enclosed space will cause the books in a hot humid climate to warp. As well they would be prone to mould and mildew; that would offset any advantage of controlling dust.

"If you keep these few suggestions in mind for the proper care and handling of your E/P books they will stay in 'Fine', 'Like New', condition for as long as you own them so that someday your children can make a killing selling your cherished collection."

I spent most of my life coddling my books, but I've reached the point where I'm far less concerned about resale value, and prefer to simply enjoy them. I'm not about to start reading them in the bath, but if I'd banged good bookplates in them from the start, a few more may have found their way home. An acquisition with a bookplate or inscription not only adds a dimension of history to the volume, but - bonus - it apparently saves me money.

I've had more problems with books out in the open than a glass encased shelf, especially thin leather cardboard. There are holes in the back of the shelf unit to air out so it stays open yet dry from an open room, haven't had any problems for years. One thing though is to not place books stacked on top of each other, it may create a silver affect on the surface in small traces. Would keeping the original plastic on longer than 10 years affect the leather? I wouldn't think this is the case when no major pressure is applied to the surface for a long period of time.

Sorry to dredge up a fairly old thread; but I have some EP editions that seem prone to stick to their neighbors. I know to help with this it is recommended to move one's books every few months to loosen up any adhesion. I often forget to do this however and was trying to think of an alternative to mitigate this upkeep requirement.

I was considering purchasing unbuffered acid free tissue paper and cutting it into approx. 5" x 5" squares and placing them between editions of my EP books. Aside from having to deal with them falling out when removing a book from the bookcase can anyone think of negative impacts to the books themselves I might be missing?

Honestly, you can just use paper, paper towels, or whatever you want. You can of course purchase something fancy-shmancy, but you don't have to.

I sometimes have a couple of books that want to stick together, but pulling them apart doesn't seem to damage them. If I had to shelve and hold leather books any more gingerly that the trade editions, I would prefer the trade editions. I don't need to pay a premium for trouble!

>13 astropi:

I guess just a simple sheet of acid free printer paper would be easiest. I'm sure I'm being a little over-concerned, but what are the chances that over time the paper would leave an imprint upon the leather cover?

Basement room. Dry climate, or get a dehumidifier and keep it at 40 - 45% relative humidity. Dust occasionally. Avoid
sunlight like a vampire.

Other than that, most of the big book killers are only a problem for books published before 1940 or if you plan to live
forever (are actually a vampire). You may encounter cosmetic (warping, wavy paper) issues even if you do the above, but these problems often correct themselves.

>15 mortalalliance:

Depends on what's in the paper. You wouldn't think a PVC coin-flip (designed to "protect" your coins) would actually soak your collectibles in rainbow grease over time, but there you have it.

> 12

The first thing that comes to mind is sheets of Teflon. I bet leather books wouldn't dare stick to it or transfer color!

15: Very little. That's the advantage of paper. It may "fall apart" over time but it won't damage leather. All that said, leather can fall apart too. Don't keep in places that are too dry, and don't expose it to UV radiation.

I had a few books that stuck together. I called EP and they sent me a solution to unstick them. I don't remember the name, but I didn't use it. While I was waiting for it to arrive, I put them out on a freezing cold enclosed porch, and they were fine in 2 days.

20: "I put them out on a freezing cold enclosed porch" :O

>21 astropi: It worked and didn't hurt the books. To kill vermin in books, put them in the freezer (securely wrapped and sealed so ice crystals can't form) and leave them for at least 24 hours or up to 48-72 hours. Disclaimer--I have never done this to leather books, but as long as they're completely sealed, I doubt whether it would hurt them.

This treatment on said porch or freezer is also marvelous for furs (especially, they love the cold), cashmere, wool, or any material critters like to eat.

I would recommend felt between books. Thicker than other solutions, but like cashmere for books!

>22 bullylover: Good suggestion. Felt squares are very cheap down at the fabric store.

Felt between the books are a great idea and the material is very affordable and would prevent the loss of value to your books. I'm going to purchase some felt hopefully this weekend and insert them between all of my books since they fit snugly on my bookcase shelves.
Thanks for the great idea bullyover!

>20 bullylover:

I'm confused as to how placing the "sticky" books in a cold climate for two days fixed the issue?

>22 bullylover:

I also want to thank you for the great idea of using felt squares!

>25 mortalalliance: I don't know how it did it, I just know that it worked. I put them out there because I thought the cold would possibly contract the leather and they would release. It obviously did something because I haven't had that problem again with those particular books. I do try to move my books and re-arrange them to keep this from happening.

Felt is also wonderful for lining painted bookshelves to keep them from sticking to the paint. I also use it under objects sitting on tables, to keep scratches from occurring.

In 40 years of collecting only 2 books got stuck together in my extensive collection. My 2 Darwin books. I am sure there is something symbolic in this.

Well, from a physics point of view, if it's very cold then moisture evaporates quickly off surfaces. "Sticky" is often due to some liquid substance. Thus, I would imagine leaving them out on the cold evaporated the water and the books no longer were stuck together. However, I can't imagine it's all that good for the book...

This is a good thread so I would like to bring it up again. I noticed two DLE sets are REALLY prone to sticking together: the 5 volume Les Miserables and 5 volume Count of Monte Cristo. I suspect it is due to the laminated illustration on the front of each book sticking to the back of the leather book next to it. These are valuable sets so I put normal ink jet paper between them awaiting a final solution. My thinking is to use quality bond (cotton fiber) paper which is required on dissertations. I suspect this should do the trick long term versus felt. Any updates on this issue?

>29 HugoDumas:

Funny you bumped this; I also use inkjet paper between editions of books in my Library of the Civil War set, however find it to be just a bit too thin.

>30 mortalalliance: card stock is another possibility since it is thicker.

>31 HugoDumas:

Good call! I'm going to try some 80 lb 12" x 12" black acid free card stock; i'll let you know how that works out!

Acid free is a must. Dye free would be smart if there is such a paper readily available.

So as I was planning my spacer card stock sheets, I thought of something.... if the sheets aren't the exact size of a book's cover, will it leave an impression along the cover over time?

I have alwayse used felt and it works well with no issues.

>1 BordyLSU: Hello,

This is an interesting thread but I have also found the following which I think may be of some interest.

http://eidolonhouse.com/chronicles/dos-donts-care-for-leather-bound-books

>36 Frank_Zwolinski:
If you use a leather conditioner, be sure to test it on the back cover of an inexpensive book. I ruined an expensive chair because I didn’t follow my own advice.

I’ve collected leather Eastons and Franklins for almost 50 years and have a library of several hundred. I never use a conditioner on them, and they look and feel as fresh as the day I bought them. If you have good climate control in your house, you shouldn’t ever have a problem.

>37 jroger1: Completely agree with your statement that proper climate control does the job. Is such case, I find that the only maintenance is to put a small amount of proper conditioner/oil along the hinges and to thoroughly wipe it afterwards. It is where leather is most susceptible to cracking.

>36 Frank_Zwolinski: There are various conditioners and oils you can use; however, there are all sorts of issues with them from vendors making their own concoctions that may damage/discolor the books to simply using the wrong oil or the wrong amount, which may result in discoloration/damage to leather. Also, using the wrong tools or too much strength to apply moisturizing agent may result in matting of leather and/or removal or golden gilt. It is especially the case with leather on more recent EP releases that is soft and supple therefore more likely to get damaged during cleaning. Older books are more likely to have gilt removed possibly due to age deterioration, but leather is definitely sturdier (and has that beautiful traditional grain we are all familiar with). Because of the aforementioned, trying out the conditioner/oil on one volume may not guarantee it will perform the same on a different volume...

>38 EPsonNY:

Speaking of which, does anyone have experience with a leather cleaner and/or conditioner that doesn’t remove the gild from the leather. So far Saddle Soap products have not passed that test.

>39 mortalalliance: Be careful with any leather cleaners, leather wipes, leather cleaning/conditioning product that comes as a paste in a tin, oils/oil compounds and waxes.

Leather cleaners are often too watery and contain additional chemicals that more easily remove leather's protective layer leaving leather matte and dry and may literally melt the gilt on the covers or on the pages if the product happens to spatter or spill. Anything like a paste requires applying too much force and even if you use a lint free cloth, you may damage the surface and gilt. Oils/waxes are too messy in general.

In terms of conditioner, I can recommend Lexol:

https://www.lexol.com/product/leather-care/leather-conditioner-0

If you use lint free cloth and apply small amounts in gentle, patient, circular motions, you will see decent results. You may apply little more pressure to leather on the back covers or hinges since there is no gilt to worry about; but avoid vigorous motions. For the front, spine and edges you may want to get some Q-tips (name brand not generic as they are better made) to apply conditioner around gilt design and remove small smudges/marks etc. Fill dry water bottle cap with a small amount of conditioner and dip your Q-tip in it :). Just remember to use the side of the Q-tip since head-on motion may cause the cardboard stick to poke through and wear off the leather/gilt. When you wipe the edges, you may want to use much less conditioner to prevent it from running off the cloth/Q-tip and staining the moire fabric.

FYI - In the era of coronavirus, stay away from any disinfectants as they may ruin leather and gilt.

>40 EPsonNY: I've found Accessible preservatives Cleaner /Restorer to be good on leather books.
www.accessiblepreservatives.com
I definitely would avoid any gilt area. The Q-tip suggestion is excellent.

>26 bullylover: I too, use felt but I am careful to use polyester and not wool. The felt needs to be cleaned on occasion, and polyester can be washed, but not wool, at least, without serious shrinkage.

As for climate control, I would appreciate hearing how others approach this.