VOLUME 8

NO.1

P APER SPLITTING HAS BEEN

practiced since the middle of the19th century. In 1901 Douglas

Cockerell, in Bookbinding and the Care ofBooks, writes that

“The paper to be split should be well pastedon both sides with a thickish paste, and finelinen or jaconet placed on each side. It is then nipped in the press to make thelinen stick all over, and left to dry. If thetwo pieces of jaconet are carefully pulledapart when dry, half the paper should beattached to each, unless at any point thepaste has failed to stick, when the paper willtear. The jaconet and paper attached mustbe put into warm water until the split paper floats off.” 1

In this instance paper splitting seems tohave been carried out in order to arrive attwo halves of paper with printing on bothsides, each of which must have been need-ed in a different place. Or possibly, onlyone page of the printed matter was neededand the other side was discarded. No men-tion is made of reattaching the split sheets,or of any other use of the separated halves.

Edith Diehl in her book Bookbinding, ItsBackground and Technique, gives similarinstructions adding only that the cambric(instead of jaconet) is to overlap the paperall around to facilitate separating the twoparts. She also mentions that to remove thepaper it is to be soaked in water and “...ifleft long enough in the water it will floatoff, but it should not be forced off.” 2 Shealso does not mention another use for thesplit papers.

Since these two eminent bookbindingexperts wrote their instructions, much hashappened, and paper splitting has beenbrought to a high degree of sophistication

Paper Splitting as a Preservation Optionby Margit J. Smith

Paper splittinghas beenbrought to ahigh degree ofsophisticationwith the newestmechanizedpaper splittingmachine.

Paper splitting machine at Zentrum Für Buch-Erhaltung, Leipzig, Germany

Archival Products

NEWS

with the newest mechanized paper splitt-ing machine. Now, however, the process is used mainly as a measure to preserve printed material that has become too brittle or too fragile to be handled safely.This works because the paper fiber links in the paper to be split are weaker throughacid content, or outside influences, thanthe links produced between the paper and the carriers attached to each side witha specially formulated adhesive. Whenpulled apart the weaker paper splits neatlyin the middle.

It is an astonishing process because very thin, very brittle paper can be treatedin this manner, even paper with holescaused by iron gall ink corrosion. The twohalves may be used separately, but most ofthe time at the end of the process, they are reattached after a strong, but very thin,reinforcement sheet of sheer tissue has beeninserted between them. In this case the for-merly brittle and damaged paper becomesmuch stronger and regains its original sta-bility without losing even its watermark.

Paper splitting by hand is often carriedout as a two-person operation, especiallywhen it involves large sheets of printedmatter. A well-trained team can possiblysplit 200 sheets per hour, whereas thepaper splitting machine can manage about2000 sheets per hour. The paper is split,reinforced with firm, flexible but strongpaper, the two halves are reattached, driedand released from the carrier in a much-improved state. The once very time-con-suming, labor-intensive and therefore veryexpensive procedure can be speeded up,and even after considering the cost of themachine, becomes economically feasible.

In the fall of 2000, while on sabbaticalleave in Europe, I had the good fortune ofobserving paper splitting by hand at theZentrum Für Buch-Erhaltung in Leipzig,Germany and I also saw the splittingmachine. The Zentrum was working on an

order from the French National Library,which had sent a shipment of roughly40,000 sheets of 19th century newspapersto be split and reinforced.

The papers were slightly yellowed typicalnewsprint with some illustrations. Iobserved as a two-person team split theselarge sheets by hand; the timing absolutelyperfect as they pulled the two halves apartat the same speed to prevent tearing thepaper. This has to be well practiced andtakes skill and concentration.

After splitting comes the attaching ofthe strengthening insert, and the realign-ment of the two halves; this step is carriedout mechanically. Its most importantaspect of course is the exact registration of the two pieces of paper. This “papersandwich” then passes over a vacuum tablewhich draws out the surplus glue andmoisture, and is placed between blotters todry. Once it is dry the two outside sheetsof paper must be soaked off in an enzymebath, that softens only the glue used toadhere the carrier papers, but will not soften nor dissolve the reattached paper.

I observed as a two-personteam split theselarge sheets byhand; the tim-ing absolutelyperfect as theypulled the twohalves apart atthe same speedto prevent tear-ing the paper.

Pulling two halves of paper apart at Zentrum Für Buch-Erhaltung, Leipzig, Germany

PA P E R S P L I T T I N G – c o n t i n u e d

2

Unfortunately, the paper splittingmachine, which is about 25 feet long andover six feet high, was not in operation.The newspapers sent from France provedto be about one centimeter larger than thelargest size that could be accommodated bythe machine. The Svabian firm BeckerVerfahrenstechnik (an engineering compa-ny in Germany) built this prototype for theZentrum Für Buch-Erhaltung in Leipzig tothe design and specifications of its technicaldirector, Dr. Wolfgang Waechter. I was toldby Dr. Waechter that this was the only

machine of its kind in existence so far.Not all preservation experts are in favor

of treating deteriorating papers this way. It is, after all, a very invasive method ofpreserving the material. However it does goa long way to assure survival of importantprinted papers and of making them avail-able to researchers in the future. Until aprocess is developed which will effect thesame improvement in the quality of deteri-orating paper, paper splitting will have itsplace among the preservation practices asthey are used today.

A short note on the Zentrum Für Buch-Erhaltung: The mission of the Zentrum isto provide one site capable of carrying outevery process of caring for, repairing, con-serving, and otherwise making available for

use again as many printed resources as pos-sible, under one roof. This concept was not easy to fulfill and thebeginning years were difficult. TheZentrum “...originated as the Conserva-tion Department of the German Library inLeipzig, but after 35 years of work in pub-lic service, limits had been reached whichcould only be overcome by a new organiza-tional form.”3 The center began with seven-teen employees and has now over fifty.

Providing one central location for anytype of treatment needed by a wide varietyof materials and the desire for physicallyhandling materials as infrequently as possi-ble have made the Zentrum successful andit is now fully self-supporting. It is locatedin a very modern industrial building inlight, airy and superbly appointed rooms,with state-of-the-art equipment, work sta-tions and storage areas with additionalspace already assured as part of its expan-sion program.

Treatment requests are received fromlibraries, museums, private collectors, insti-tutions and commercial firms in manyEuropean countries. The Bavarian StateLibrary sends all its material for paper split-ting to the Zentrum. According to Dr. Waechter negotiations regarding abranch location in the US, possibly on the East Coast, were underway.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1 Cockerell, Douglas. Bookbinding and the Care of Books. London, Pitman, 1978, c. 1901, p. 63-64.

2 Diehl, Edith. Bookbinding, Its Background and Technique. New York, Dover, 1980, p. 306.

3 Zentrum Für Buch-Erhaltung. The Service Partner, Leipzig, ZFB, n.d., p. 3

Margit J. Smith is the Head of Cataloging and Preservation atCopley Library, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492, mjps@sandiego.edu, 619-260-2365.

Providing onecentral locationfor any type oftreatment need-ed by a widevariety of mat-erials and thedesire for physi-cally handlingmaterials asinfrequently aspossible havemade theZentrum suc-cessful and it isnow fully self-supporting.

Lining up the carrier paper which is dissolved off later atZentrum Für Buch-Erhaltung, Leipzig, Germany

PA P E R S P L I T T I N G – c o n t i n u e d

3

W HEN I JOINED THE

Conservation Services Staffat the University Library, the

University of Michigan, I found all my pre-conceived definitions of “pamphlet” sweptaside in favor of a simpler test: here a “pam-phlet” is a bundle of print on paper, eitherunbound or soft-cover bound, that is one-quarter inch thick or less. This definition ispurely pragmatic, as so much must be in aunit charged with overseeing the physicalwell being of a research collection that topsseven million volumes. It derives from thepractical observation that a text block one-quarter inch thick or less is difficult torebind by traditional binding methods andtherefore alternatives have been developed.

Indeed pamphlet binding has evolved itsown decision trees and workflow. It over-laps both the in-house Book Repair opera-tions and Bindery Preparations (the unitthat routes books out to the commercialbinder) but belongs wholly to neither.What follows is a description of work flow,decisions, and rationale for the treatmentof pamphlets at Michigan—with a recogni-tion that “our way” is only part of thewhole sub-world of pamphlets in libraries.

When to Bind?Pamphlets are one class of material that weroutinely bind before the new volume isever placed on the shelf. Unbound, theslippery little devils are difficult to keep inplace. They slide behind or are crushed bytheir more robust neighbors. Thrown in astudent backpack or down a book-returnchute, the unarmed pamphlet is likely tobecome folded, spindled, or mutilated.Our Labeling Unit, when processing newacquisitions for the shelf, gathers together

all publications one-quarter inch thick orless and ships them to ConservationServices by the tote full.

Despite the narrow definition of pam-phlet, the pamphlets that come toConservation Services show a remarkablywide variation of format. Some are pam-phlets in the classic sense: a limited numberof sheets folded and secured with staples orsewing through the fold. There are loosesheets of 8 1/2 by 11-inch office paper heldtogether by a single staple in one corner.Many “pamphlets” are small paperbacks;the leaves may be attached just with adhe-sive or the paper may be folded in sectionsand sewn. Each “pamphlet” may be a singlepublication, a small series of publications (agroup of newsletters, for example), or a sin-gle publication in several parts.

The Pamphlet BinderWhile pamphlets without binders arequickly crushed on the shelf, library pam-phlet binders themselves have often proveda source of damage to the material they areintended to protect.

Pamphlet binding for single-sectionfolded publications is highly satisfactory: afew stitches with wire or thread throughthe fold can attach a durable hard cover tothe pamphlet without significant damageto the original soft cover. The binding canbe undone simply by cutting and pullingout the stitching. When necessary—afterwater damage to the binder, for example—it is a simple process to rebind. Pamphletsin multiple sections that were originallysewn can with practice be manipulatedinto a pamphlet binder by stitchingthrough the first and last sections. (See ref-erences below for sewing techniques.)

Library Pamphlet BindingBy Shannon Zachary

Pamphlets areone class ofmaterial thatwe routinelybind before thenew volume is ever placed on the shelf.Unbound, theslippery littledevils are diffi-cult to keep in place.

4

Pamphlets in single sheets (loose sheetsor originally adhesive-bound) are less satis-factory. The text block can be side-stapledinto a pamphlet binder. As long as thepaper is in good condition, damage to theoriginal publication caused by the bindingis limited to the stab holes of the staples,but the binding is tight. It fights the readerand it fights the photocopier. The userresponds by forcing the pamphlet openand weighting it to hold his place. Oncethe paper becomes weak or brittle, it breaksalong the line of flex. In recent years wehave worked with our commercial binderto extend certain adhesive-bind structuresto some of the narrower paperbacks inpreference to side-stapling. All our side-sta-ple pamphlets are screened for a minimumthree-eighths inch of gutter margin toensure that the bound text can be read.

Pam binders made with butterfly tape—

two strips of gummed tape sewn togetherdown the center, right side to right side,were an ingenious invention that has notproved satisfactory in the long term. Allthe stress of the pamphlet-to-binder attach-ment and of the movement of the pam-phlet is concentrated on the spine of thepamphlet’s paper cover. Sometimes thegummed tape fails to stick adequately andother times it sticks only too well, damag-ing the original cover or creating a break-ing line at the edge of the tape.

Supplies and EquipmentPre-constructed pam binders. Evaluations ofour in-house book repair unit have consis-tently shown that staff time is the most

5

L I B R A R Y PA M P H L E T B I N D I N G – c o n t i n u e d

Cons

erva

tion

Serv

ices

, Uni

vers

ity L

ibra

ry, U

nive

rsity

of M

ichi

gan

1 Inserting music into the pamphlet and placing into wire-stitching machine

2 Removing the paper liner from the cloth spine-wrap3 Smoothing down the spine wrap

1 2

3

expensive component of the operation.Our costs are made most efficient by tak-ing advantage of pre-cut and pre-assembledparts prepared by outside suppliers when-ever possible. Our specifications for pam-phlet binders include:

• alkaline buffered board stock, 40–60 pt.

• C-grade (or better) spine cloth

• construction that conceals the stitching on the spine

The last requirement comes from expe-rience that wire stitching or sewing that isexposed on the outside of the bindingoften does not hold up in use: either thestitching is worn off by rubbing, is deliber-ately picked apart by a curious reader, or(in the case of wire stitching) snags othermaterial, resulting in damage either to thebinding or to the other material.

Our jury is still out in the debatebetween clear-front (polyester sheet) andboard-front binders. Clear-front bindersare well liked by most of the managers atthe libraries and by users (even academics,it seems, will judge a book by its coverwhen making selections at the shelf ). Clear fronts do become scratched with use, occasionally crack or break, and have created some in-house controversyover where and how to attach the callnumber label.

Thread vs. staples. Best practice for pam-phlets is to remove all existing staples fromthe pamphlet and to sew it, by machine orby hand, with linen or cotton thread. Asimple three-hole sewing pattern (expandedto five or even seven for large books) holdsthe pamphlet securely in place with leastdamage. While a small proportion of ourpamphlets are hand-sewn into binders, welong ago invested in a pair of floor-modelwire-stitching machines to expedite a workflow that averages over 8,000 pamphlets

per year. The stitchers use wire off a spool,cutting the wire to length for each “staple.”The wire we use is bethanized steel, whichis steel coated with tin. Pure stainless steelis too brittle for the machine and galva-nized steel or copper wire quickly degrades.Round wire is used for saddle-stitching, flatwire for side-stitching.

Wire-stitching machines. Several of thearchival supplies companies sell table-topstaplers for pamphlets. Search directoriesunder “printing equipment” and “binderyequipment” for the larger wire stitchers.Make sure that the machine will permitboth saddle and side stitching.

Work flowAll publications one-quarter inch thick orless are sorted out into totes for pamphletbinding. Staff at the Labeling Unit, theStacks Office, or tech processing areas ofthe branch libraries identify potential

6

L I B R A R Y PA M P H L E T B I N D I N G – c o n t i n u e d

Music Library, University of Michigan

Our costs aremade most effi-cient by takingadvantage ofpre-cut and pre-assembledparts preparedby outside sup-pliers wheneverpossible.

pamphlet binds; Bindery Preparationsand Book Repair Staff also watch forand re-route pamphlets. As they arereceived totes are labeled by libraryand by date, to facilitate a first-in,first-out workflow.

The technician in charge of pamphlet binding selects the tote with the earliest date and sorts thepamphlets.

Sort by size: A simple sizing jig helpsselect the appropriate standard-sizedbinder for the book. The jig is aneighteen-inch square of binder’s boardwith portions of wooden yardsticksglued on two adjacent edges to makestops. The binder sizes are ruled offwith indelible markers and color-coded to make it easier to distinguishadjacent sizes. Pamphlets are fitted tobinders that are the next size largerthan the text block, allowing for atleast one-eighth-inch squares. Oursmallest binders are 7 1/2 inches high.Pamphlets smaller than seven inchesall automatically go in 7 1/2 inchbinders (stapled so the pamphlet isone-eighth inch from the bottom ofthe binder and the excess binder is allat the top); otherwise tiny pamphletsget lost on the shelf.

Sort by bind style: the technician thenslips each pamphlet into a binder andstacks the binders, sorting through-the-fold pamphlets into one stack andside-staple pamphlets into another.Throughout these procedures thetechnician is on the watch for specialproblems. The pamphlets are then stapled with two, three, or morestitches depending on the height ofthe piece. Stitches are spaced two tofour inches apart.

Narrow margins: a pamphlet needs atleast three-eighths inch clear guttermargin for side-stapling into a binder(saddle-stapling does not interferewith the gutter space). Pamphlets with insufficient margin for side-sta-pling are handed over to Book RepairStaff for adhesive binding or to beplaced in a pocket attached inside a binder.

Spiral binds: if the original pamphletis spiral-bound or comb-bound, thespiral or comb must be cut off.Sometimes there is sufficient guttermargin to guillotine the holes off and then staple the pamphlet into abinder. (The paper will break downquickly if it is forced to flex along the line of holes.) If the margin isinsufficient, the book is transferred to the Book Repair unit for adhesivebinding.

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L I B R A R Y PA M P H L E T B I N D I N G – c o n t i n u e d

San FranciscoPublic Library housing music scores,plays, poetry, govern-ment documents and magazines

by Marie Kelser

“At the San Francisco Public

Library we have an extensive

permanent Music Score collec-

tion. The majority of the sheet

music is bound in the spine-

wrap binders. The spine wrap

not only hides and protects the

paper covers but it ensures that

the item will not fall out of the

binder when sections or pages

become loose or detached. I

find that the dense Archival

Board, the C-1 cloth and 20 pt.

clear cover hold up well with the

music users. We also use the

binders for other pamphlets and

thin materials in the collection

and for regular and oversize

Government Documents, which

receive little use but need long

term preservation protection. In

addition, the spine wrap binders

can be reused once a popular

monthly magazine issue is out of

date. I choose Archival Product

pamphlet binders for the quality

of the materials to protect the

life of the material, be it a score,

a play, poetry pamphlet or a

Government Document.”

Marie KelzerSan Francisco Public LibraryPreservation Unit Manager

Music Library, University of Michigan

LBS/Archival Products1801 Thompson Ave.P.O. Box 1413Des Moines, Iowa 50305-14131-800-526-5640515-262-3191Fax 888-220-2397custserv@archival.com www.archival.com

Tears: if the pamphlet cover or pages aretorn up the spine folds, it is handed toBook Repair to mend the tear with tissuebefore binding.

Brittle paper: the pamphlet is routed toBook Repair for adhesive binding or to beplaced in a pocket binder. Some weakermaterials can be hand-sewn with a looseguard of heavy Japanese paper folded intothe center of the section.

Time and StaffA 1994 time and cost study of our in-house staple binding operation found theaverage time per item was four minutes.Time included sorting, stapling the pam-phlet into a pre-assembled binder, andminor interruptions such as adjustments tomachinery, minor restocking of supplies,and short consultations on problem pieces.No significant difference was foundbetween processing times for saddle andside-stapled pamphlets. Over the past fif-teen years the unit output has ranged from7,500 to 12,500 pamphlets per year. Theoperation has been staffed by approximate-ly .5 FTE student assistants supervised bythe Book Repair unit. More recently staplebinding has claimed part of a regular sup-port staff position.

Binding for the Long HaulOnce a pamphlet is secured in a sturdybinder, very rarely does the binding fail.Occasionally pamphlets have been water-damaged and we replace the binder.Occasionally a pamphlet is deliberatelypulled out of the binder by a reader who finds the binding too restrictive.Overwhelmingly, investment in pamphletbinding is a long-term protection for the book.

GLOSSARY

sewn: leaves attached with threadstitched: leaves attached with wire staplessaddle-sewn: saddle-stitched: leaves secured through

the center fold side-sewn, side-stitched: leaves secured by passing thread or

staples through the entire thickness of the book near the binding edge

stab-sewn, stab-stitched: = side-sewn, side-stitched

Definitions adapted from: Matt T. Roberts and Don Etherington,Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, Washington, D.C.: Library ofCongress, 1982. See the dictionary (also available online at<http://sul-server-2.stanford.edu/don/don.html>) for more detail.

RESOURCES ON PAMPHLET STRUCTURES AND SEWING

Greenfield, Jane. Books: Their Care and Repair. New York: H.W. Wilson Co., 1983.

Kyle, Hedi. Library Materials Preservation Manual. Bronxville, NY: Nicholas T. Smith, 1983.

Lavender, Kenneth. Book Repair: a How-To-Do-It: a Manual. 2nd ed. How-To-Do-It Manuals for Librarians, Number 107.New York: Neal-Schuman Publishers, Inc., 2001.

Shannon Zachary is the Head of Conservation Services in the Preservation Division, University Library, University ofMichigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-3294, szachary@umich.edu.

L I B R A R Y PA M P H L E T B I N D I N G – c o n t i n u e d

Once a pam-phlet is securedin a sturdybinder, veryrarely does thebinding fail.