What's a good way to restore a paperback book that's falling apart?

Question: What's a good way to restore a paperback book that's falling apart!?

I have a whole slew of old books with covers threatening to fall off and others who have already started tearing!. What's an inexpensive way to fix them!. Obviously cheaper than purchasing new ones!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

tape and cardstock or glue/needle and thread and clothWww@QuestionHome@Com

There is no good way to fix these books unless the paperbacks happen to be so old (usually 1945 or before) that the pages were sewn to begin with (threads hold the signatures together--usually visible every 16 or 32 pages--in a Smythe sewing fashion)!.

If they're 1950 or later paperbacks and were perfect bound, you can glue the covers back on, but the moment you reread them, they will fall apart again!. They are good only for display, not for reading!. Moreover, most of the paper used in such books is newsprint or highly sulphurated pulp paper and therefore will be brittle with age!. Again, if you just want to look at the books as neat old objects with period covers, relics of a bygone age, gluing will keep things intact!. But as for reading them, which is what I like to do with my books, it is probably a lost cause!.

Alas!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

i had a book that was falling out so i got a small binder and a hole punch!. hole punch the the paper and stick it in the binder!. then glue the cover to the outside of the binder!. hope i helped!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Take duct tape and run it along the spine!. The spine needs to stay together or else the whole book will fall apart!. If tearing, use clear duct tape to fix it!.
Duct tape works best!.!.!.glue will peel off!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

get bookbinding glue and go over the spine with it!. you can also get clear covers to hold the book togetherWww@QuestionHome@Com

Tape or glue!.Www@QuestionHome@Com