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story of the CMR

the CMR, or collection maintenance repair

The CMR was named by Carol Kent as she edited a BookNote #3, “Collection Maintenance Repair for Publishers’ Cased Books”. That was in 1994 at BookLab when we were adding library services to limited edition binding services. The CMR, or collection maintenance repair, was designed as a standard book repair method that could be effectively priced and effectively produced for a wide variety of damaged library books. The basic unit production time was fortyfive minutes. They were produced in batches of ten to twenty five.

Craig Jensen suggested the elegantly simple tipped double folio endpaper with the attachment flange of kozo. That proved to be the key to a basic structure and a speedy way of work. The CMR endpapers permited the repaired books to travel down the casing line the same as edition work. Sometimes original endpapers were retained, but the new endpapers were installed regardless.

When the CMR instruction included “save old cover”, we used an innovative pastedown flange produced by folding back the outer endsheet. This doubled flange extended about 1/6 to 1/8 the width of the text and was put down directly over the gutter margin of the original pastedown. The effect was very neat and it revealed every feature and attachment on the original pastedown…but librarians did not like it. To them it looked industrial and strange. To us it looked elegant and efficient.

The CMR method was very standard but both the incoming books and their existing sewing were highly variable. Consolidation of leaf attachment with machine sewing was well assured regardless of the condition of the sewing, but consolidation of the abbreviated hand sewing was fairly uncertain. We salvaged the existing sewing regardless of the type or condition. Now I would include an option of conservation double fan rebinding treatment for some conditions of text paper and existing sewing.

The BookLab CMR was well differentiated from library bindery recasing by the steps taken to clean and reinforce the text back and by the care taken in subsequent lining adhesions. The covers were also expertly produced and installed using the same methods and equipment that we used for fine edition binding. Finishing included laser printed paper labels or elegant, Ludlow set stamping.

What follows is a discussion of the CMR method. You will see that it is a method between library bindery methods and treatment methods associated with book conservation practice. That hybrid character was intended to make it suitable for both circulating and special collection items and for both recent and antiquarian imprints. Paul Banks conceptualized just such a middle practice for items of median value. The CMR is a step toward practical application of such a concept.

CMR introduction

The CMR provides (1) text consolidation or reinforcement of the leaf attachment, (2) toughening of the cover, and (3) reinforcement of the cover to text attachment. All three types of reinforcement are needed in a good book repair. Repair of the cover is of little value if the text is loose in the case or if pages are loose from a break in the textblock. It is also important that the reinforcements be made without causing subsequent damage to the mobility of the book.

Collection maintenance repairs must be quick, simple and inexpensive while, at the same time, assure good work and quality materials. Materials must be durable and stable and the finished repair must be plaint to reading motions and neat in appearance. The work can be judged in the bonded areas where the adhesion must be clean and secure. There should be no looseness or buckling in the adhered linings or hinges as the book is opened.

The materials and equipment needed are not extensive. The endpaper stock should be durable and alkaline. The 70 lb and 60 lb text weight Mohawk Vellum beige paper is ideal, especially considering its miraculous color matching to aged book papers.. Adhesives include methyl cellulose gel, starch paste, and a synthetic PVA adhesive. Other materials include various colors of book cloth for reinforcement of original covers, acrylic sized buckram cloth for production of replacement covers, and 10 or 20 pt. folder stock for spine inlays. Paper backed book cloths including Van Heek Dubletta and Canapetta are very useful.

Equipment needed includes a small bench top press on a stand such as the Tim Moore repair press. These elevated presses allow access to the fore-edge of the textblock. Edged press boards such as the precise and graduated BookLab II edged boards are needed. Tools needed include a metal straight edge or ruler, a wooden handled trimming out knife with both a sharpened and dull sector, scissors, large sanding stick, brushes and small synthetic foam rollers for application of PVA adhesive, a Teflon lifting spatula and a bone folder.

CMR preparation

The CMR repair method is based on the use of an unsewn endpaper. A guard of kozo fiber paper is attached to the endpaper folios producing a flange which is bonded to the back of the textblock. This method permits a full, non-damaging opening between the endpaper and the outer printed page.

Endpaper production, involving cutting, folding and guarding, is done in advance of the repair work. In the double folio CMR design, a tip of adhesive is applied to the fold edges. A kozo guard is then sealed to the tip of one endpaper folio while the other single folio is positioned and sealed, fold to fold, on top of the guarded folio. These assembled units are stacked and weighted to assure adhesion and flat setting. Uniform sizing of the endpaper sheets enables foredge jogging of the assembled endpapers.

The assembled endpapers are next prepared by an edge trimming. Working at the board shear, a single edge is trimmed. The kozo flange is folded underneath and the endpaper folds are seated against the bed gauge to position the right angle trim. The repair operation will keep an inventory of two or three sizes of these assembled endpapers on hand.

CMR steps

1. Separate the textblock from the cover of the book to be repaired. Fully open the board and cut through the hinge folds of the pastedowns and the underlying crash with the trimming out knife. Any cord sewing supports should be carefully cut free from the board leaving the stubs of the cords intact on the text. Leave the conjugate to the pastedown in place on the text as a waste sheet. Any loose leaves should be reversed and inserted, foredge first, back into the text so that they remain visible. Any tip between the frontis and title page should be released and the frontis inserted as a loose leaf.

2. Strip off any loose lining paper from the back of the textblock and scrape the back with the paper knife to clean it. Follow this dry cleaning with an application of methyl cellulose gel to soften the glue film that remains. When softened, carefully remove this residue with the dull knife edge and wipe the surface with a damp towel. Correct any distortion in the shape of the textblock while the glue is softened. Don't forget this step! Seal any stubs or slips of sewing cords onto the back of the textblock.

3. Strip off the outer flyleaf conjugate to the pastedown and then inspect the initial leaves and any foldouts. Free outer leaves will be reattached on guards of kozo and these can be prepared at this time. Look also for evidence of loose inner sections. Pamphlet restitching of loose sections can be done through the dried kozo lining at a later stage.

4. Prepare a piece of kozo paper for the initial back lining. This lining is cut to book height and cut to width size using a sanding stick that produces a soft edge. The lining should be in excess of the width of the textblock back and should lap over onto the shoulders, reinforcing the attachment of the outer leaves. Take a moment to shape and position the text, correcting any distortion or asymmetry. Apply paste to the text back and carefully lay the dry kozo lining onto the text back, then stipple the kozo into place using a strong, dry brush. Let the pasted and stippled lining set-up in the press.

Flanges of the kozo paper are pasted down later as a separate operation. The flange of the lining is supported by fingers and pasted. Using a folder, flex the flange onto the shoulder and seal it into the seat of the shoulder using the folder. Secure the pasted guard with a strip of blotting paper and weight and allow this to dry. Any loose outer leaves are then registered and weighted in place and the flanges of their kozo guards are pasted across the back of the text. The pasted kozo guards are also stippled using a small, stiff bristle. Allow the pasted lining and any guarded outer leaves to dry overnight.

5. Pre-crease the endpaper shoulders as needed by breaking the crease, 3-5mm from the folds, over an underlying board. Apply a light film of PVA adhesive to the back of the text using a small foam roller. Then position the endpaper with its fold in registration to the fold of the outer section, its cut edge squared to the textblock and draw over and adhere the kozo paper flange across the back of the text. Apply the other endpaper, squaring the cut edge to the opposite head or tail of the book. Trim out the remaining uncut edges of the endpapers using the trimming out knife. Ride the knife blade on the text edges for head or tail trims while trimming the foredge using a thin ruler.

6. With both endpapers attached and trimmed, bond a cambric cloth lining over the text back with the book carefully positioned in the press. The PVA adhesive is best applied to the text back with a roller using care to seal the outer exposed folds of the endpapers. The cambric lining is cut in excess of the width of the text back to produce the internal hinges. An additional paper lining can be applied if needed to support the opening of the text. Cloth endbands can be applied between the cambric and paper lining.

7. The original cover can be repaired and reused or a new case cover can be made. In both options a counter lined inlay stock, such as a 20 pt card with a backing of bond paper, can be used to induce a natural rounding in the spine of the cover.

When the original cover is reused the pastedown endsheet can be folded back on itself to produce a 1/6th book width flange. This flange pastedown goes down over the gutter margin of the original pastedown, but it will not cover book plates or circulation data and will not distort the original board. The flange construction also provides a single or double paper lining for the text back. This is achieved by folding the flange back on itself and then across the text back.

8. Reattachment of cover to text follows local casing in practice. A standard 8 mm joint is suggested with an option of 7 mm where lighter cloths and thinner edged boards are in use.

CMR conclusion

Use of books as sources for digital imaging signals a major change in their physical and intellectual purpose. The CMR method prepares books for face down scanning, providing a flat, deep gutter opening, especially at initial leaves and reinforcing cover to text attachment to enable manipulation and flipping of the book at the copier. The CMR also reinforces publishers' binding for traditional library handling and circulation.

How are books selected for CMR? The CMR is used within book collections that will be maintained in circulation since loose leaves and damaged cover to text attachment prevent safe circulation. Such damage is corrected by CMR treatment. But the CMR specification can best be applied to volumes with non-brittle paper. In the context of circulating paper collections, the option of preservation photocopy replacement can be used as an alternative to CMR specification when paper condition dictates.

The CMR specification is suited to cloth covered, publishers' bindings. Retention of sawed cord hand sewing is more difficult than retention of machine sewing. Abbreviated sewing patterns, distortions of hammer backing, fractures of glued linings and cords, deterioration of thread and paper, typical of sawed cord work, all result in a fragile text structure. Sewing repair and relining may only force the breakout of adjoining sections. Complete hand resewing, as a CMR step, is sometimes justified with sawed-in cord binding. Double fan rebinding is another option for repair of loose leaves and sections in sawed cord work. Double fan adhesive binding is also an option for text papers too deteriorated to be resewn.

Leather covered bindings are not suited to CMR treatment unless a new cover is specified and the structure converted from laced to cased construction. Sawed cord sewing, whip stitching of outermost leaves and sharp backing add to the possibility of damage to these texts, even following CMR treatment and conversion to case construction.

CMR forwarding, including careful cleaning, reshaping and relining of the textblock to preserve original sewing distinguishes this work from production library bindery recasing. The initial pasted lining of kozo fiber paper provides a surface for bonding subsequent linings as well as assuring reversibility of the repair. Flanges from this lining act as guards to reinforce the outer leaves. Retention of the original cover is another distinctive CMR option that is not available in library bindery recasing. One attribute of retention is reuse of identifying labeling. This attribute is increased with use of a flange type internal hinge that will not cover interior bookplates, bar codes and other information on the pastedowns.

Endpapers are attached via guards, and ultimately attach to the text in the manner of endpaper folios in double fan binding. The attaching guard prevents hazardous tipping between the outer printed pages and endpapers. The extra fold of a double folio endpaper also provides additional expansion in the board opening with less demand on the endpaper-to-text seal. Finally, the inner folio of this endpaper can be sewn either to adhered linen tapes or with linking stitches. Sewn endpapers can be stitched trough a back lining or via stitches carried into the outer sections.

The CMR can be evaluated on precision and neatness of the work. The CMR should provide consolidation of the textblock, toughening or replacement of the cover and reinforcement of the cover to text attachment. Performance testing, as is being developed for evaluation of library binding, could be applied to compare repair structures.