It seems to be fairly well proven that all fiction and juvenile books should be bound in some kind of leather, preferably cowhide.[5] Objections to this are heard from time to time, but the objections come chiefly from the large steel towns where the sulphur in the air has a bad effect on leathers. In most communities leather will outwear cloth and in any event cloth becomes shabby, even when perfectly strong, much more quickly than leather. When the French joint is used the leather need not be pared and ordinarily will outwear the paper of the book.
Follow general specifications as outlined above, supplemented by the following:
1. Books should be bound in one-half cowhide (American russia). Roan may be used if the librarian is sure that it is good.
2. Fly-leaves should be made of white book paper, 70 pounds to the ream and guarded with jaconet.
It is apparent that when fly-leaves are guarded with cloth they are sewed as a separate section and not tipped on as is done in ordinary binding. Since practically all fiction and juvenile books are oversewed, it will not be necessary to carry the guard around to the inner side of the fold.
3. End papers may be made of paper specially made for the binder, but it should be equal in strength to an 80-pound manila paper and should be guarded with jaconet on the outside of the fold in the same way as fly-leaves.
4. If book is not oversewed the first and last sections must be guarded with jaconet.
5. Nearly all books should be sewed with some modern method of overcasting.
It is probable that in every lot of books sent to the binder there will be some fiction and juvenile books which could be sewed in the regular way through the signatures either on bands or on tapes, but the number is so small that the binder finds it easier to sew all the books alike. In any event only those which have the backs of the sections unbroken the entire length and which, in addition, are seldom used, should be sewed in the regular way.
[5] See footnote, page 66.