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We have been using the CoLibri book
cover system in our book repair unit for over 5 years. It was first used
in our Conservation Lab. We cover 75-100 volumes per
month. The primary use of CoLibri covers is for Special Collections
volumes. New acquisitions with dust jackets are covered for protection,
as are older volumes with somewhat tattered dust jackets. Paperbacks are
covered. We also place the CoLibri covers on deteriorating leather bindings
to keep the red rot from rubbing onto other books and to help keep users’
hands clean. Per Special Collections’ request, we use the CoLibri
pouches to construct polyethylene envelopes for single pages, small pamphlets,
and miniature books. We use 20 pt. card stock as a stiffener within the
pocket. We also cover items within the
circulating collections, especially for books in the art library. The
covers are useful for preserving original covers and for protecting those with
cut-out areas or those made with unusual materials. I have not yet
replaced any CoLibri covers, so there are covers out there that have been on
the books for up to 5 years. With time the covers get scratched up but
are still doing their job. Note that because we use heat-set
call-number labels, we must have the labels attached to the spine or to the
dustjacket BEFORE adding the CoLibri cover. The pouches work splendidly on many
sizes of books, but there are occasions when we trim the width of the
pouch. We like to have the folded edge of the pouch on the fore edge of
the volume rather than to have a weld. This trimming may be too fussy for
some folks but we feel it looks much nicer. We have had to replace the welding bar
a few times. We learned to wipe away any accumulation of plastic on the
welding bar; sometimes this means wiping after every 4th weld or so.
I have suspicions that the humidity plays some part in how well and how neatly
the material welds. Let me know if I can answer any
other questions. Book Repair Supervisor Preservation Department |