Every book on our shelves has already outlived at least one owner. Some are decades old, and a few are well past a century. Most of them made it this far because someone, somewhere, took decent care of them.
The good news is that looking after books doesn't take special equipment or a lot of money. Here's what we've learned from handling thousands of them every week.
Where You Keep Them Matters Most
If you only do one thing, make it this: keep your books away from sunlight, heat, and damp.
- Sunlight fades spines and yellows paper. A bookshelf across from a sunny window will bleach the spines facing it within a few years. If you can't move the shelf, closing the curtains during the brightest part of the day helps.
- Heat and humidity are the real enemies. Attics and basements are the worst places to store books, because swings in temperature and moisture invite mold, warping, and that musty smell. A main-floor room with steady, comfortable conditions is ideal.
- Shelve them upright, and snug but not crammed. Books packed too tightly get damaged when you pull them out, and books with too much gap tend to lean and warp. If a shelf has a gap, use a bookend.
- Big, heavy books should lie flat. Tall art books and atlases can pull their own spines loose when stood upright for years.
Handle Them Gently
A few small habits add up:
- Pull a book off the shelf by gripping the middle of the spine, not by hooking a finger over the top. Tugging the top of the spine is how headcaps tear.
- Don't leave a book open face-down to save your page. It stresses the spine. Use a bookmark.
- Skip the sticky notes and rubber bands for long-term storage. Adhesive can leave marks, and rubber bands dry out and stick or cut into the cover.
- Keep food and drinks away from your reading spot. Coffee rings are forever.
Cleaning Without Making It Worse
Most used books just need a light dusting.
- Dust: Use a soft, dry brush or a clean microfiber cloth, and wipe from the spine toward the edges.
- Pencil marks: A soft white vinyl eraser, used gently, can lift light pencil. Test on a small spot first and don't rub hard on old or fragile paper.
- Covers: For cloth or laminated covers, a barely damp cloth wrung out well is fine. Never soak a book, and never use household cleaners or sprays.
- Dust jackets: A clear protective jacket cover is one of the best small investments for a hardcover you care about. It keeps jackets from tearing and scuffing.
Getting Rid of That "Old Book" Smell
A little vintage scent is part of the charm, but a strong musty smell is worth fixing.
- Let the book air out in a dry, well-ventilated room for a few days (out of direct sunlight).
- If it still smells, put the book in a sealed container with an open box of baking soda or a bowl of plain, unscented clumping cat litter, making sure it doesn't touch the book. Give it several days to a week and check back.
If you ever see actual mold (fuzzy or dark spots), keep the book away from your others and be careful about handling it. Mold can spread.
Small Repairs You Can Do at Home
- Torn page: Don't use regular tape. It yellows, gets brittle, and can damage the paper over time. Archival repair tape, made for paper and books, is the safe choice.
- Loose cover or hinge: A thin line of book-binding adhesive (PVA) is the usual fix. Use very little, and hold the book closed under a weight while it dries.
- Valuable or very old books: If a book is rare, signed, or sentimental, resist the urge to repair it yourself. A bad repair can lower its value more than the damage did. A professional conservator is worth the cost.
The Bottom Line
Treat books the way you'd treat anything you hope to pass along: keep them dry, out of the sun, and handled gently. A used book that's cared for can easily have another long life, and that's exactly what we're in this business for.
And if one of your books has seen better days, we'd love to see it. Stop by the shop in Interlochen and tell us what you've got.
What's the best-kept (or worst-kept) book on your shelf? Let us know. We love a good book rescue story.