A reinforced book is one which has been removed from the original publisher's cover, strengthened in various ways and put back into the same cover. (See chapter on this subject, page 108.) In its best form it means the complete resewing of the book with an overcast stitch. It is advisable to buy such books frequently, since they preserve the attractive publisher's cover and since they can also be recovered by the library itself without resewing. Statistics kept by the Wilmington Institute Free Library show that such books when properly recovered give as good relative service as those which have been bound before purchase. The main advantage lies in the elimination of the time necessary to send them to the bindery and the greater length of service which they give at the height of their popularity.
Recovering at the Library
Many books which come to the binding department require rebinding in order to put them into the best condition, but the books will be used so little that rebinding would not pay. In the numerous cases in which the sewing is in good condition it will be possible to recover them at the library and letter them by hand. In cases where the sewing is poor it will be possible to resew and recover. Such books are neither so strong nor so attractive as books which have been wholly rebound, but they can be recovered at an expenditure of less than fifteen cents a volume, as against forty to fifty cents a volume for binding, and are in sufficiently good condition to wear a long time, perhaps as long as the library needs them. (For description of the process of recovering see page 185.)
Discarding Valueless Books
In the preceding case it has been taken for granted that the books in question add something to the resources of the library and that they must be kept. Books that have outlived their usefulness because they have been superseded by later editions, or by other books more authoritative, in all except the largest libraries should be discarded. (For arguments in favor of this see Chapter 8, [p. 131.])
Leather vs. Cloth
Notwithstanding that he is repeating himself, the writer wishes to emphasize one point. It may almost be made a general rule, though like other rules, it will not work well at all times. Never bind a seldom used book in leather, or a much used one in cloth.
Cheap Editions
Money may be saved by replacing books which need rebinding with good editions cheaper than the cost of binding. (See (f), page 129.)
Proper Care