Book Collecting Basics: The Structure of a Book

June 1st, 2011

Before taking to the skies, a pilot learns the inner workings of an airplane. Rare book collectors should do the same with books; it’s important to understand how a book is put together so it’s easier to recognize the signs of fine craftsmanship, to spot reproductions, and to assess the value of potential additions to your collection.  Here are the basics of book assembly.

Modern Book Construction 101

Before a binding or cover is ever added to the book, the individual pages, or leaves, must be attached to one another. There are two methods for leaf attachment: sewn and adhesive.

Sewing the pages together creates the strongest binding, but this method is also more expensive. With this method, multiple gatherings (called signatures) are sewn through the folds of the pages. Books bound this way usually open very well. Oversewing may also be done for children’s books and books that have a library binding.

On the other hand, if adhesive is used, it is applied directly to the pages, on the side where the binding will be placed. This is called the text block. Adhesive may be applied while the text block is closed, or while the pages are fanned out.

To hold the book to the spine and cover, books have joints and hinges. A joint attaches the spine to the cover on the exterior of the book. A hinge attaches the pages to the inside of the cover. Note that paperback books don’t need hinges or joints because the paper cover is attached directly to the pages.

Handling a book properly will extend the life of the joints and hinges. Check back soon for more insight on book preservation and restoration from some special guest bloggers!

Entry Filed under: bookmaking processes,collecting