TIL a library in my town is tossing all their old cloth bindings for rebinding in plastic

I was picking up a book from the local library yesterday and overheard the head librarian telling a volunteer they're clearing out the old section. She said they're sending about 200 books with worn cloth bindings to be stripped and rebound in a standard plastic laminate. On one hand, I get it, plastic is cheap and lasts forever on a shelf. But it made me sad, you know? Those old cloth bindings have character, and some of them could be repaired instead of replaced. Has anyone else seen this happen, and what's your take on durability versus keeping the original materials?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor_ward20h ago

Actually, plastic laminate doesn't last forever. It gets brittle and cracks over time, especially with the heat and dry air in a lot of libraries. Those old cloth bindings can often be fixed pretty well with a little glue and new hinges. It sounds like they're going for the cheapest option, not the best one. The plastic might look okay now, but it won't age as nicely as the original cloth would have if they'd just fixed it.

kevinc8415h ago

Oh man, my buddy's library did this exact thing. His favorite old book cracked right along the plastic spine after a few years.