Shelving Books - Student Assistant Training Program

Shelving Books - Proper Care and Handling of Books

You can help prolong the life of library books by taking good care of them and handling them properly.

Protect books from the elements:

Put books in a bag if you need to take them out in bad weather,

Do not leave them in direct sunlight or on a heating vent.

Preserve the spine:

Hold the book on either side of the spine when you pull it off the shelf, do not hook your finger over the endcap and pull. (This may cause the spine to rip.)

Support the book when you photocopy, do not force the book open further than it goes naturally.

Take care of the pages:

Books with brittle pages need extra care. Photocopying may cause permanent damage - check with your supervisor if the book seems fragile.

Do not write in the book.

Use a paper bookmark; do not use rulers or pencils or leave the book open, face-down to hold your place.

Shelving tips:

Shelve the book only if there is enough room, do not try to force it into a space that is too small. Let your supervisor know if the shelf is out of space.

If the shelf is not tall enough to place the book in its normal position, place it on its spine with its sides supported.

The images on this page were provided by the Illinois Cooperative Conservation Program and drawn by Hollis Denn Onken.

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Page updated: November 1999
Comments on web page: Web Designer

		Protect books from the elements: Put books in a bag if you need to take them out in bad weather, Do not leave them in direct sunlight or on a heating vent. Preserve the spine: Hold the book on either side of the spine when you pull it off the shelf, do not hook your finger over the endcap and pull. (This may cause the spine to rip.) Support the book when you photocopy, do not force the book open further than it goes naturally.

Take care of the pages: Books with brittle pages need extra care. Photocopying may cause permanent damage - check with your supervisor if the book seems fragile. Do not write in the book. Use a paper bookmark; do not use rulers or pencils or leave the book open, face-down to hold your place. Shelving tips: Shelve the book only if there is enough room, do not try to force it into a space that is too small. Let your supervisor know if the shelf is out of space. If the shelf is not tall enough to place the book in its normal position, place it on its spine with its sides supported.