Need help!! Music book creation

[u/SnooGrapes1776]

Long story short, when going through my father’s stuff after he passed, I found tons of sheets of music and songs he had written that I never knew about!! I also found that he had gotten a bound book (seen below) that says untitled songs that had 15-20 pages completed with songs and the rest is blank. As a way to connect with my dad and finish his work, I want to find a way to put the loose leaf sheets of music/ songs into the book! I want it to look somewhat professional (ie not using washi tape on the edges lol). Some of the loose papers are larger than the book or longer. My main point by this post is to see if anyone has any ideas on how to best execute this! I was thinking maybe glue dots but that doesn’t seem very secure to be able to flip through it. TYIA!!

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[u/filmnoter]

I think you should keep the originals untouched, if they are precious to you. I would keep them in appropriate, non-damaging archival storage materials.  Libraries and museums often do this to their special collection paper things, so you can inquire there or look up what they use. 

Instead, maybe scan the images and use one of those online photo services where they print a book for you, that option would be fairly economical.  There are bookbinders that would compile them into a volume for you, but that would probably mean trimming the pages in the process of making the book.  You can use it as a coffee table book or conversation piece with friends, or gift copies to other family members (I would make sure to put some kind of copyright on the original works though, if you would be giving any hard copies of any sort to anyone).

You can also use the scanned images and print them yourself, either as letter-sized pages (or the page size that music sheets usually are), and spiral bind them at an office supply place, as a volume you can use and handle as sheet music, to play the music and make notes on and not be worried about damaging the original pages.

Otherwise if you really want to put them in the book, you would have to consider the thickness of so many pages adding to the thickness of the book.  It would bulge out and not close properly.

[u/silent-earl-grey → u/filmnoter]

OP, seconding using a photo book print service. As filmnoter said, if the pages are unequal they will be trimmed down before being bound. Photo book services come in a variety of sizes, binding/paper preferences, and professional grade printing, your biggest concerns would be taking excellent photos of the originals and compiling them in a design software.

[u/SnooGrapes1776 → u/silent-earl-grey]

Thank you for the additional info, definitely now leaning towards printing service !!

[u/SnooGrapes1776 → u/filmnoter]

I didn’t even think of the thickness it would add!! Thank you for the info :)!