Reading books is still one of the most popular
pastimes despite stiff competition from the likes of sporting events,
video games, and the Internet. Paperbacks are more
affordable than hardcover books but they can fall apart if you don't
take proper care of them. Here are a few ways you can prolong the lives
of your paperback books:
Reading books is still one of the most
popular pastimes despite stiff competition from the likes of sporting
events, video games, and the Internet. And even though e-book readers
like the Kindle and Nook have become popular, many people still like the
look and feel of real books, especially paperbacks. Paperbacks are more
affordable than hardcover books but they can fall apart if you don't
take proper care of them. Here are a few ways you can prolong the lives
of your paperback books:
First of all,
you should take care of your books. This means keeping them away from
water and trying to avoid spilling anything on them. You should store
your books in a bookcase and not leave them in piles all over the place.
Books are treasures and should be treated as such.
If
you tend to read a lot in places other than your home (i.e. on public
transit, at Starbucks, and so on), you might want to get a customized
fabric cover for your latest read. This will keep the book in good shape
no matter where you're reading.
You
might want to apply a clear plastic overlay to your books. The plastic
acts like laminating film and it will keep the covers in good shape.
Also, the plastic might enhance the colors so that your books will look
better than they did before.
If the
pages start falling out of your paperback books, it is possible to fix
the problem. To do this, you'll need a thermal binding machine such as
the Pro-Bind 2000. (Other thermal binding machines will work as well.)
If there is still a decent amount of adhesive left in the spine, you can
probably run the book through a binding cycle and the pages will once
again be part of the document. However, if there isn't much adhesive
left, you should use a thermal glue binding strip. Just take a strip and
trim it down (if necessary) and place it in the book's spine before
running the paperback through a binding cycle. Whether you're using the
original adhesive or a thermal glue strip, make sure you tap the book
against a hard surface after you remove it from the machine. This helps
the pages to set. You should then let the paperback cool off before
using it to ensure that the pages will stay in the book.
Taking
care of your paperback books is easy and there is a lot you can do to
make sure that you can use them for years to come. By properly storing
your books and keeping them away from water and such, they will stay in
good shape. And if the pages do start falling out, you can use a thermal
binding machine to solve the problem. It's fast and easy so you can get
back to reading in no time. Start taking care of your paperback books
today so you can enjoy them for a long time. Good luck!
Jeff McRitchie is the Vice-President of Marketing for MyBinding.com.
He regularly writes articles, reviews, and blog posts on topics related
to bookbinding, laminating, paper shredding, and office equipment. More
than 2,500 of his reviews have been published in thousands of locations
on the Internet. If you're looking for information about thermal binding machines, his articles are a great place to start.
