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Glue vs. Tape

just bought some books the other day, as I often do in the book- Glue is easier to use than tape and when properly applied (don’t use
shop, because I have to buy ’em, to sell ‘em. One of the titles was too much) can be a long-term invisible repair. A loose or detached
Ian older reprint of one of my favorite books ever The House At Pooh page can be tipped back in with just a tiny amount of glue to make an
Corner by A.A. Milne. I was happy to see this copy even though it was invisible, basically invisible, repair. It also can easily be used to repair
only worth a few dollars because I didn’t have any copies in the shop split or torn inner hinges of the front and rear covers for a repair that is
just then. Well, although it looked okay on the outside when I was pric- as good as new.
ing it later after I saw to my disappointment that someone years ago, Yet many people just LOVE tape. Just adore it. Can’t get enough of
had made some damaging and untimely ineffective repairs to a few it. I’ve even seen books, and
loose pages with the ever-popular cellophane tape. valuable books at that,
While cellophane tape is very useful repaired with all kinds of
for some things, I am awful tapes like duct tape,
not a big fan of it masking tape, electrical
for repairing books tape, and even, get this,
because of the long- band-aids! YUCK!
term and probably Not so very long ago
irreversible damage someone came in for the
it does. sole purpose of asking
The problem is that me what kind of tape I
the adhesive used on would advise him to get
cellophane tape is to repair his book with.
acidic. And by acidic, I Well, I looked at it
mean very, very acidic. and saw that it could
It looks okay and even have been permanently
holds okay – at first, repaired with just a
then years and decades small bit of glue and
later the tape discolors advised him NOT to
and eventually falls off use any kind of tape as
and leaves serious dark tape can be damaging
stains on the paper. Of in other ways to old
course, to be fair, no one books and not just
knew this at first and so cellophane tape, so if
when I was young and thicker tape use used
innocent, I used cello- on broken hinges
phane tape myself to repair and torn pages, this can
old items not only because cause further damage as the book was not designed for this
it was the only product like added thickness which can result in more splitting and tearing, not to
that on the market, but now sadly, I can see the damage that I did when mention making it unsightly.
I used it to repair cherished old family documents. Well, I tried to tell this fellow all of that but when I did, he
But as I said, we didn’t know any better then, but there is no excuse proceeded to get mad at me informing me that he WAS going to use
for using it now on old and valuable documents and books. TAPE in spite of what I said because it was HIS BOOK and so asked
In Dec. 2012, I did an article for this Journal about this, titled “Tape me again what type of tape to use. Well, I refused to answer him. Hey,
vs. Glue” where I warned of the dangers of using cellophane tape, even it’s his book to ruin but don’t ask for my advice if you don’t want it.
the cellophane tape that touts itself as being safe to use as I am not Now that said, there are a few archival acid-free tape repair products
aware of any cellophane tape that is safe to use. on the market that can safely be used in many instances – if you know
And now seeing this badly repaired copy of House at Pooh Corner it what you’re doing! But I would not have recommended them to him
is apparent that eleven years later, it is again time for me to raise the for the type of repair he wanted to do on his book.
alarm with a new article on the same subject. But to avoid plagiarizing
myself, please note that this article is titled “Glue vs. Tape” instead of James Dawson has owned and operated the Unicorn Bookshop
the “Tape vs. Glue” title that I used the first time. in Trappe, MD since 1975, when he decided that it would be
Not only did the tape repair on the Pooh book eventually fall off and more fun to buy and sell old books and maps than to get a
leave unsightly stains from the acid in the adhesive, but the book itself “real” job. For a born collector like Jim, having a shop just
might be another excuse to buy more books. He has about
then fell apart again when the repair failed, so counting the stains, the 30,000 second hand and rare books on the shelves, and just
book was in even worse condition than it would have been if someone about all subjects are represented. He can be contacted at P.O.
had repaired it properly with a small amount of white craft glue and still Box 154; Trappe, MD 21673; 410-476-3838;
been in good shape today. unicornbookshopMD@gmail.com; ww.unicornbookshop.com

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