HOUSEKEEPING

Method

Removal
Before starting a cleaning or refurbishing project on whatever scale, examine the shelves for book fragments that have fallen off; there is a better chance of finding where they belong before the books are displaced.

Start from the top of the bookcase and work to the bottom; and from the left-hand side of a shelf to the right.

See handling pages for how to remove volumes from shelf. Remember to come back.

Keep the books closed at all times until after they are cleaned so that no dust or dirt on the head-, tail- or fore-edge can fall into the text-block.

Do not attempt to grasp more than two volumes in one hand and use two hands whenever possible to remove volumes from shelves.

Gently place them on a trolley or table – do not thrust them down as even the slightest shock can loosen the sewing, crack the joints, scuff the cover, and crush headcaps.

Keep the books in the same order as they were on the shelves during the process of removing and cleaning them.

Remove all books from a shelf so that the whole shelf can be cleaned in one go.

Keep hands clean throughout the operation so dirt and dust are
not transferred to items, such as those with paper covers, which
are susceptible to being disfigurred by grubby finger prints