1. General Guidelines
Most paper bound books are sent to be shelved “as-is.” As with hardback books, barcodes are affixed to the inside back cover. The Process Type should remain "Technical Services" unless they are to be bound (see below). These paper bound books may need binding in the future if they show wear and tear after circulation, but many of them will hold up well for many years with limited circulation.
Some paperback books should be sent to the commercial bindery while others will be pamphlet bound. Guidelines for types of paperbacks to be bound are as follows:
- Paperbacks over one and one-half inches thick
- Paperbacks that are under 1/4 inch thick
- Paperbacks that are stapled in the spine (i.e. similar to a musical score or newsletter)
- Very heavy paperbacks
- Art catalogs
- Very expensive paperbacks ($150 or more)
- Paperbacks that are in poor condition
- Paperbacks with uncut pages
- Paperbacks with obvious poor construction (e.g., covers loosely attached, pages not sewn in, etc.)
- Volumes of sets that should be bound to match (see below)
- Spiral-bound and comb-bound materials
- Paperbacks that have associated materials, e.g., CD-ROMs, maps, etc. already in a pocket or needing a pocket
Rapidly superseded paperbacks - Computer manuals that are rapidly superseded are not commercially bound. Other titles that are rapidly superseded (e.g., annual or bi-annual editions) should not be commercially bound. For non-document materials, anything thinner than ¼” should be sent to In-house binding for a pamphlet binding. Documents thinner than ¼” can be pamphlet bound on request. Barcodes should not be attached directly to the piece, but paper clipped to the piece. Piggyback barcodes may also be used.
Barcodes - Paperbacks to be commercially bound should have only system supplied barcodes. Preservation Services personnel will place special “piggyback” barcodes in these volumes, overlay the automatic barcode, charge them out, and send them to the bindery. Do not put barcodes in any books going to the bindery unless you use “piggy-back” barcodes.
Process Type - Items should have their Process Type field modified to "Preservation" if they are placed on the repair shelf for binding.
Rush books - Rush books that need to go to the commercial bindery should receive a regular barcode in the back, with a note penciled above to “send to Binding when discharged,” then given to the Marking Table.
Flags - Do not put any flags (Reference, Restricted, Cut pages, BIC, WRC) for items going to commercial binding. Do use “Notify” and “Book Plate” flags. Books needing “Tip-in” book plates can be sent to the bindery with a flag noting that it needs a “Tip-in.”
WRC - materials generally are not sent for commercial binding unless instructed by WRC staff. Those items are placed on the WRC shelf near the marking table.
Questions - When in doubt, consult the Preservation Librarian
2. Binding Guidelines for Sets
Sets should be bound to match, that is, in the same color buckram with the same wording. Sometimes two or more volumes may be bound together. The call number is not imprinted on the spine in binding. If one volume is smaller than the one and a half inches listed in the basic guidelines, it should still be commercially bound so that the set is uniform. (We may or may not go back and bind volumes previously stiffened.) The set cataloger has a supply of “piggyback” barcodes to place on the title pages of books to be commercially bound. The volumes should be placed on the designated shelf in the Preservation Services area.
3. Binding Guidelines for Scores
Scores that are stapled in a single fold can be pamphlet bound by sewing in In-house Binding. They should be placed on the same shelf for In-house Binding, with regular barcodes clipped to the covers and a temporary location of “Inprocess.” Scores thicker than ¼” should be sent to the commercial bindery (bound as music to lie flat, with a clear cover), not pamphlet bound. If the score plus any parts is thicker than ¼”, it should be sent to the bindery.
Most scores are sent to the commercial bindery. The Score Cataloger has a supply of “piggyback” barcodes to place on the title pages of scores to be commercially bound. Such scores should be placed on the designated shelf in the Preservation Services area. Scores in large sets are bound to match and have the call number imprinted on the spine by the bindery.