Spine erasures on bookbindings

Regina R. Sinclair <sinclair [at] blue__weeg__uiowa__edu> writes

> The problem is that our Marking unit is routinely requested to erase
>(with an electric eraser) as many as five or six lines from the
>spine of a run of books in order to make title changes.

The Linda Hall Library has recently acquired the collection of the
Engineering Society Library in New York. In processing the
collection into our own we have faced the same problems that you
have described.  I have found that the use of acid free paper and
pva make suitable materials by which to cover the old spine labels.
For the Items that are bound in slick buckram  we have used a gentle
scrubbing with sand paper to mark the surface so that it will receive
the adhesive better and pressing lightly while the adhesive dries.
We have tried the approach of using solvents such as silicone,
alcohol and others to remove the spine letters but found this time
consuming.  I hope this has been  helpful to you.

Kathy A Meier
5109 Cherry
Kansas City MO 64110

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:31
               Distributed: Wednesday, September 25, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-31-002
                                  ***