GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS
1. The binder is responsible for all books consigned to his care and must replace or pay for all books lost or injured. When one considers the large number of volumes passing through a bindery, coming from many different libraries, the number of books for which the binder is unable to account is surprisingly small.
2. The librarian is the judge of whether the book is bound according to the specifications. Since he has submitted the specifications and the binder has agreed to them he should be the sole judge of the result.
3. The binder will be allowed to depart from any specification if it is desirable in the interests of good binding. He must, however, prove that he is justified in so doing.
4. Books must be paid for according to a schedule of prices agreed upon by the binder and librarian.
5. The size should be determined by measuring at the back of the volume after it is bound. It might be wiser, perhaps, to measure the book before the boards are put on, so that binders would be sure to trim the book as little as possible. It is the universal custom, however, to pay according to the measure of the book with the boards on. This may possibly tempt the binder to increase the square of the book just enough to group it with the next larger size so that he can charge more for it.
6. All items not covered in the schedule of prices may be charged for at the regular rates of the binder for such work.
7. All books not oversewed are to be sewed all-along with Hayes' Irish linen thread, suiting the size of the thread to the requirements of the book; No. 25 for light, No. 20 for medium and No. 16 for heavy sections.
8. Cloth must be used for sides of all books bound in half-leather or half-duck. Never use marbled paper except occasionally on newspapers.
9. Unless otherwise specified, cloth which conforms to the specifications of the Bureau of Standards, or Imperial morocco cloth, must be used for full binding. For sides of leather bound books a somewhat cheaper grade may be used.
10. Duck should have a twisted, double thread in the weft.
11. Moroccos or pigskins must be guaranteed by the manufacturer to be free-from-acid.
12. Glue must be best quality of binders' or flexible glue, and must be used sparingly.
13. Poor materials of any kind must not be used.
14. In taking books apart, all old glue, paste, back-lining, paper, etc., should be carefully removed.
15. The binder should expect to do a certain amount of mending of torn pages and guarding of weak signatures, but should be allowed to charge extra when the amount is excessive.
16. The text of all books must be collated by binder and imperfect books returned to the library. (See under Processes, Collation, [p. 15]).
17. All illustrations of whatever character printed on single leaves must be guarded with thin, tough paper and the guard folded around the adjoining sections.
Some librarians and binders advocate the use of cloth guards but this seems hardly necessary. The cloth guards tend to swell the back of the book, especially if there be many plates, while the thin, tough paper is strong enough for ordinary books. Folded plates should never be sewed through the middle of the fold, but should be mounted on guards so that the plates will open out nearly flat when the book is opened. Folded maps, or other folded plates which may be consulted often should, unless otherwise specified, be guarded with cloth which is as wide as the book, so that they may be thrown entirely outside the book and lie flat on a table.
18. Illustrations which are folded more than once, such as maps, should be carefully cut and mounted on thin cloth in such a way as to allow for the folding to come on the cloth alone, not on the paper.
19. Stitching (that is, sewing signatures lengthwise with a sewing-machine) or old-fashioned whipstitching, is not permitted for any books; with the possible exception of newspapers.
20. In sewing three bands or tapes must be used for eight-inch books, four for twelve-inch, etc.
21. Tapes, or bands, and back-lining must project at least an inch and a quarter on each side of the book.
22. All books should be lined on the back with canton flannel as described in the chapter on Processes, except in a few cases where it may be advisable to use duck or a flesher. This eliminates lacing-on of boards.
23. Adjoining leaves of fly leaves and end papers must always be pasted together.
24. Books must be trimmed as little as possible.
25. All books should have rounded corners.
26. All books must have French joints.
27. All books, unless otherwise specified, will be fastened finally into the covers by pasting down end papers. Tight-back books will in addition have the back glued to the book.
28. Books should be loose-back unless otherwise specified.
29. Edges should be sprinkled unless the library specifies gilding on top. The color used may be varied to harmonize with the color of the book.
30. Books must be pressed until thoroughly dry.
31. Binders must keep a record of each book, whether periodical or not, which has a volume number.
This record, commonly known as a "rub" or "rub-off," shows the size of the book, kind of binding and exact lettering. Whenever other volumes of the same work or same periodical are received they will be bound according to this record, unless the librarian has specified a different material, or different lettering. In such a case the matter must be referred to the librarian before the book is bound. If a binder receives a book with a volume number and has no record of previous volumes, he should ask the librarian for a sample volume, unless it is obviously a book for which there could be no sample, such as the first volume of a periodical giving contemporary dates.
32. The binder is expected to paste in book-pockets and book-plates when furnished by the library but may charge extra for the work.
33. The best gold leaf must be used in lettering unless cover is light enough in color to take ink. Leather labels should never be used.