(a) Commercial, or edition binding.
(b) Artistic binding.
(c) Library binding.
Commercial binding is that in which practically all books come from the publishers. For the most part it is the product of machinery from beginning to end, and the material used is generally poor. Apparently the sole object in view of most publishers is to turn out a book that will attract the eye. Strength is not an element for which they strive. From their point of view they cannot be severely blamed for making strength a secondary consideration. By far the largest part of their product is sold to individuals, and the strength of the binding is adequate for the amount of use that these books will receive. From the library point of view, however, publishers' bindings are entirely inadequate. One cannot expect, of course, that the publisher will put a popular novel into a binding strong enough to meet the demands of library use. On the other hand, one cannot blame librarians for being exasperated when heavy books of travel, history, or biography part from their covers when they have been in the hands of less than ten readers.
The distinguishing characteristics of commercial binding, and at the same time its greatest weaknesses, are the machine sewing and the insecure way in which the book is fastened into the cover. Very little extra expense either in material, care, or workmanship, would make most books outside of fiction sufficiently strong to withstand all the wear that they will receive. Unfortunately the publishers fail to realize this, and books by the thousands come from the binderies covered on the back with the coarsest kind of super which does not even extend to the head or tail of the book. A stouter cloth, carefully applied, running the entire length of the back would cost very little more per volume, but would strengthen it materially.
While practically all commercial binding is lacking in strength, this is due almost wholly to trade conditions, for commercial binding can be made exceedingly strong. One has only to turn to the 1912 edition of the Century Dictionary or to the United States Catalog, which are practically machine bound throughout, to realize this fact. However, until librarians are united in their demands for stronger bindings, we can expect to see the present poor work turned out in as large quantities as ever.
There is another kind of binding which is, if possible, even more unsuitable for libraries. This is artistic binding which is done exclusively for individuals, beauty of appearance being the chief object in view. It differs from commercial binding in being all hand work instead of machine work. Since hand work is used and the main object in view is beauty, it follows, of course, that such books are much stronger than those bound by publishers. But the strength of these books is in many cases not proof against the wear that they would receive in libraries. No special methods of sewing or strengthening the first and last sections are used. Practically all artistic books are bound in leather and frequently in full leather. Whenever the leather used is anything other than good morocco, it is an element of weakness rather than strength. In addition to these objections, artistic bindings are usually so expensive as to be beyond the reach of any library.
In library binding the main consideration is strength. Not only is beauty a secondary consideration, it is scarcely taken into consideration at all. For it must be confessed that library bindings are seldom attractive. No library can afford to pay for ornamentation of backs and sides of books. Library binding is all hand work. Although machine binding can be made exceedingly strong, machines cannot be used on library binding, because the books vary so much in size and lettering. The main reason why commercial binding can be done by machinery is because a large number of books are bound exactly alike. In library binding it seldom happens that more than two volumes, the same in size and lettering, are bound at the same time. Library binding also differs from other bindings in that the use the book is to receive is made the basis of selection of materials and methods.