A tale of woe: books wounded in action

In the season of goodwill, spare a thought for those books which fail to make it through life without the occasional mishap; from the all-too-common drink spill to the lesser-spotted animal attack, we’ve compiled a tongue-in-cheek list of some of the rich pickings to be had amongst the great returns bin in the sky…

It’s worth pointing out that some of these mishaps happened to members of staff, so don’t feel too bad!

Water damage and spilt drinks

By far the most common scenario we come across when books are returned with damage is through exposure to water, often in the form of drinks bottles inside bags. The condensation on the outside of the bottle can seep into the book causing the pages to wrinkle, crease and become brittle when they dry out. Sticky soft drinks can also cause pages to stick together which rip when opened. One way to avoid this is to keep your books in a separate carrier bag when you need to transport them.

Left outside

Almost as common, and as unlikely as it sounds, we see quite a few books that have been left outside and been exposed to all the NZ weather gods can throw at them. This has the same effect as spilling drinks as pages get wet and then become fragile when they dry out. If the book is not allowed to dry, it may become moldy which presents a health risk to the reader. The other problem with leaving them outside is that rain water is not very clean so the books are exposed to salt and pollutants trapped in raindrops. We’ve also had the occasional book returned with slug trails on it!

Washed!

Accidents happen, and once in a while we see a book that’s definitely been through the ringer! Books can get bundled up into laundry if they’re near the bed, or put down absently-mindedly near the washing machine. Sadly, these books are well beyond repair – and identification as well! A tumble in the machine isn’t the only way to clean up a book… we hear of plenty of books that have taken a dunk in the tub at bath time along with their readers.

Repairs

We love that our customers love our books as much as we do, but if a books is damaged while out on loan please don’t be tempted to repair it yourself. Sticky tape can cause lasting damage when the acid in the glue seeps into the pages of the book. At the libraries we use special, acid-free tape to repair small tears and we have staff that are specially trained in the repair and restoration of books.

Too much love

Books can often be more than just a way to pass the time; some become treasured objects that invoke powerful feelings and memories in the reader. Some are handed down through the family and some are constant companions, read and re-read over and again. It’s these books which suffer from too much love as they become worn and weary, and tattered and torn.

My dog/little brother ate it!

More often heard in classrooms around the country, we’ve seen the odd dog-eared book come across our desk. Sadly most of these books are irreparable and we have no choice to but to dispose of them and replace them.