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mishalakMany labels are applied to book covers, both used and new, that if left on will impair the value of the book not to mention looking unsightly. In better book stores they are applied using gums or glues that hold very gently to the cover and can easily be peeled off using a fingernail to raise a bit and then gently pulling with a slow and steady force in the direction of the rest of the label.
If in doing this the label starts to damage the cover desist immediately and procure a single edge razor blade of the type used in box cutters. Place the razor at one edge of the label, not on the side that has started to damage the cover. Gently push, using the razor nearly parallel to the book cover to separate the label from the cover. A single steady stroke drawing across the direction of the cut will often facilitate the action rather than pushing the razor straight through. In no case saw back and forth with the razor and be careful to listen and watch for signs that you are doing damage.
Use of a razor will leave behind a sticky coating on the surface of the book. Naphtha is the traditional solvent to use to get rid of this, but be sure to wear latex or the equivalent when using it as it will irritate your skin cause lasting pain if in prolonged contact with the skin. Use a clean rag to quickly rub in some of the naphtha and then immediately remove it with a dry portion of the rag. It works best on slick covers and can also be used to dissolve many other sticky substances without exposing the book to the possibility of damage by moisture. It will leach out color and cause damage if left on the book cover in significant quantities and it works best (if at all) on matte covers if applied to just the sticky area using something like a Q-tip and then immediately blotted off.
If in doing this the label starts to damage the cover desist immediately and procure a single edge razor blade of the type used in box cutters. Place the razor at one edge of the label, not on the side that has started to damage the cover. Gently push, using the razor nearly parallel to the book cover to separate the label from the cover. A single steady stroke drawing across the direction of the cut will often facilitate the action rather than pushing the razor straight through. In no case saw back and forth with the razor and be careful to listen and watch for signs that you are doing damage.
Use of a razor will leave behind a sticky coating on the surface of the book. Naphtha is the traditional solvent to use to get rid of this, but be sure to wear latex or the equivalent when using it as it will irritate your skin cause lasting pain if in prolonged contact with the skin. Use a clean rag to quickly rub in some of the naphtha and then immediately remove it with a dry portion of the rag. It works best on slick covers and can also be used to dissolve many other sticky substances without exposing the book to the possibility of damage by moisture. It will leach out color and cause damage if left on the book cover in significant quantities and it works best (if at all) on matte covers if applied to just the sticky area using something like a Q-tip and then immediately blotted off.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-28 12:34 pm (UTC)You'd be great in a lib. preservation department, yaknow?
(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-29 02:47 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-29 03:59 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-29 05:33 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-28 04:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-06-29 02:48 am (UTC)