We are pleased to announce that we are going to begin offering basic book repair services! I (Aria) have been practicing basic book repair and cleaning techniques on various items in our collection, including repairing internal hinges, regluing separated spines, tipping in loose pages, and more! While I am not yet accomplished in the arts of more complicated repair jobs, like rebinding, I now have the skills to address many of the most common ailments that plague well-loved books new and old. Here is a quick rundown of the types of repairs we are offering, along with estimated prices (pricing will vary depending on the complexity of the repair required for each book):

Mylar application: $5 for standard-size hardcovers up to 10″ tall, additional cost for larger hardcovers
The dust jacket of your hardcover book will be wrapped in a protective, archival-quality Mylar covering, without use of damaging adhesives or tape. This is a simple way to protect the jackets of valuable or well-loved books.

Loose page reattachment: Starting at $3 for one detached leaf
Any loose pages in your book will be reattached securely using the “tip-in” method.

Loose hinge repair: Starting at $8
The hinge is the portion of the book closest to the spine, allowing the book to be opened and closed (Source: Biblio.com). One of the most frequent issues I see on well-loved books are loose or torn interior hinges. One or both covers start to pull away from the spine, and become loose and floppy, often revealing internal components of the binding. These can often be repaired quite cleanly, restoring much of the integrity and “crispness” of the binding.

Spine reattachment: Starting at $10
If the entire spine has pulled away from the text block, we consider this a spine reattachment job. This kind of repair may or may not involve additional hinge repair and page reattachment, and pricing will depend on the complexity of the work and time required.

Basic cleaning: $2 per book
Just want to give your book(s) a little spruce up? We will gently clean the cover/dust jacket, remove as much dirt and/or sticker residue as possible, unfold any curled or dog-eared pages, and generally do our best to return your book to as much of a like-new state as possible using the methods we employ on our used book stock before it hits the shelf. We cannot repair water damage or liquid stains which affect the text block.

Please note that at this time we are unable to rebind books! If you are unsure about the work required on your book, you are more than welcome to stop in anytime during our regular business hours for a free consultation and quote. Just make sure to bring the book(s) with you so we can take a look at them! Additionally, please note that for most repairs, you will need to be able to leave the books with us for at least a day, sometimes longer, so that we have time to complete the work.

Why Have Your Books Repaired?

Book repair is not just for special rare books, antiques, or collectables (though we will certainly service such books if the repairs required fall within our skillset!) Most often I receive requests to repair family Bibles, but I have also repaired regular copies of Harry Potter and beloved college textbooks. We encourage having your books cleaned and repaired when needed rather than just buying a new copy, even if the book doesn’t possess tons of monetary or sentimental value, because a) it extends the life of an already existing product rather than requiring something new to be made and b) with new book prices the way they are, it may actually save you money! With some of the books in our collection clocking in at 150+ years old and still going strong, we don’t think that books are (or should be) disposable items. A well-cared-for book can last a lifetime, and we are hoping to make book care and repair accessible to everyone, not just serious collectors!