Book Conservation

The goal of conservation treatment is to prolong a book’s useful life and preserve the historical and artistic aspects of the text and the binding. A successful conservation treatment keeps as much of the original materials and structure as possible and uses reversible techniques. Repairs to pages and bindings should be unobtrusive, complementing the original binding structure. Age, use, quality of materials, and value, all affect the exact techniques and materials chosen for treatment.

See the photographs below for an example of a Bible printed in 1630 conserved at Flyleaf Bindery. Click on a photo to see an enlargement.