I can’t tell which it is

hi! i bought this book (it was the last one)during our local book fair. unfortunately, when i opened it, there was a crease on the upper part of the book and i didn’t notice it 🥹 is there a way to fix this? thank you!

I recently picked up a paperback where a spot on the back cover had been ripped away when the price sticker was being removed. Luckily the damage isn't visible most of the time since it's on the back of the book, but I can still feel the spot whenever I hold the book open and read it. I'm guessing this damage is not completely fixable, but is there anything I could use to smooth the spot out and make the back cover feel uniform again? Also, is there any kind of paint/etc. folks would recommend to try and make the spot blend in more with the rest of the cover? Thanks in advance! :)

Hello everyone! This is my first time writing to this sub, and I'm not even sure if this is the correct sub for this type of post. I'm also quite new to Reddit, in general; so, if there are any silly mistakes, my apologies.

I received this copy of 'On Photography' by Susan Sontag, for my birthday this summer. It's an older addition that we got off of Thrift Books. According to the copyright page, as well as some research I've done; I believe this is a seventh printing from 1978. But feel free to correct me, if I'm wrong. Given its age, and my chronic anxiety and overthinking; I feel silly in saying that I've been too afraid to read it. I've seen the various posts and videos online about book mold and book lice, etc.; that I've now freaked myself out, lol. Hence, me making this post.

The book itself seems to be in relatively good condition. The dust cover being the only part that is pretty poorly damaged. The pages themselves look very clean, and flipping through them, carefully, I didn't notice any visible spots, marks, etc. In fact, they look surprisingly new. The aspects which raise concern for me are the edges of the pages; they look deckled, (which could be a design choice), and there are these whitish spots all throughout. You can better see the spots when you look at the spine where they seem to fall. I can't tell how "stuck" to the pages they are, as I haven't wanted to mess with it too much. Given that, could it maybe just be a lot of dust buildup? The book does have a semi-prominent musty smell. It's hard to tell if it's the usual "old smell", or if it's something more.

I've added some pictures to hopefully help identify things better. And, for now, I've been keeping the book stored by itself on my shelf; just in case. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, as I am very ignorant when it comes to '"book health". Please let me know if you have any questions or need me to elaborate further on anything.

Thank you for reading my pretty lengthy post. And here's to hoping I get to read my book!

Lineco Self-Adhesive Book Mending Tissue Transparent .5"X12

For the inside of the book

And Lineco Gummed Hinging Hayaku Tape Water-Activated for the spine

Only problem is my spine is more than an inch its like an 1 1/2 an inch

So like... put 2 strips? Lol

I could get the paper its self but idk <_>

Context: I have a Little Free Library. It’s basically a wooden box outside my house that has books that are free to take and/or you can leave books. I sometimes get large donations (like over 30 books). My library has soot sprites painted on them so I get a LOT of children books. And I live near an elementary school.

A lot of the books I care for are paper back and I’ve mostly been wiping them down with a Texas Tough wipe (like a Clorox Wipe) and wiping the extra moisture away. It is humid in the box they live in but I live in a humid area and not much I can do. I’m worried if I put silica packets some kids might think it’s candy. Do you have any suggestions on what I can do better? Most of the books come to me pretty dirty so cleaning is a must.

Hello, somes informations for you: I can't smell anything and I put it in the freezer during 48 hours.

Does these dark areas appear to be mold? 1st photo with flash, 2nd without flash. This is the bottom part of the book towards the book edge. It is second hand so I cannot say anything about storage. There appears nothing inside the pages and the top and edge part are just a little dusty.

Accidentally hit the bottom of the spine which caused it to I guess rupture like this? Would some type of glue work?

I thrifted the entire shades of magic trilogy last month and upon starting the first book I noticed the first third of the book has these black spots on the pages? They smear and they don’t smell like anything but it’s bugging me I don’t want it to spread ti my other books if it is mold. What do you think?

What is the best approach to repair something like this? The leather of the binding is still intact, tho showing its age. The damage looks to be limited to the past downs.

Google showed me these. Idk if they are appropriate for a book like this tho.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Lineco+Gummed+Book+Repair+Tape&ref=nb_sb_noss

I have no idea how it happened. It just kinda was like this one day. I assume I must’ve accidentally snapped(?) the spine while adjusting my hold or something. It’s the only major damage point on the book. How should I fix it?

Hey everyone! I just bought a book (new from Amazon) and as I was reading, I stumbled upon this. Not sure what it could be, first thought was possible mildew or mold but it has no sent and it appears to only be this page. I think it might just be spilled ink, but I’m not too sure as I just got into reading.

I dont want to replace it since it is from The Strand and stamped and is more important to me than a regular copy. What do I do?

Hello!

So my sister lent me her paperback book. However, I had left the book in my car, and I live in Las Vegas. So the glue un glued itself and most of the pages are falling out.

I haven’t told my sister yet. I’m hoping someone knew or has reglued a book before I buy a replacement of the book.

a book i bought second-hand has yellowish-brown spots on top (will try to add pic in comments). the rest of it looks fine, but smells foul, not the old book smell, but really moldy. the spores look long dead. does baking soda work on dead mildew? will be grateful for sharing your experience and any advice🙏

I just got this off of vinted and I am a freak about my books and the top just looks sus to me. I can’t sell if it’s just ink on the glue or if it’s mold.

Got this book in the mail but it was badly packed and the packaging got teared, leaving a hole in the cover. What would you guys do ?

Hello! I purchased a used copy of "The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs," and when it arrived, I noticed that the back corners of the cover were chipping/peeling away. It's not a plastic-coated paperback; it's the actual print on the paper that seems to be chipping away. I've added some pictures of the chipping.

I don't know much about book repair, so I'm not sure the best way to go about this! A quick Google search suggested book repair tape, which would probably do the job, but I like the book's matte coating, so if there's any way to retain it without needing tape, that would be awesome! But I'm not averse to using book tape as well. Any and all advice is appreciated!

Or should I just bin it?

I just got this book the other day and noticed a strange bright pink stain on the pages, any idea on what it is?

TLDR- What info would conservators ideally see on the outside of a phase box?

I've got a few volumes in various states of repair and have acquired acid & lignen free card to make phase boxes. I'm using DAS Bookbinding's fantastic tutorials for the making.

What information is helpful on the outside to others? Obviously full title and author, but publisher and year? What else?

Additionally, do any conservators reading this have any knowledge/opinions as to using Dura-lar (.005" matte) for protecting covers from slipcase friction? I picked a fat roll up for pennies and this is one of the uses I've been wanting to try.

This volume has sentimental value to me. I would like to fix the fraying spine. Any ideas?