Introduction
In an effort to develop and support a more effective library binding program,
the following guidelines apply to the entire University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Library system.
Coordinated through the Bindery Preparations Unit, library binding activities are
completed by a commercial bindery according to the currently approved industry
standards. The Preservation and Conservation Units will coordinate repair or
special handling of items. In some cases, this may include referral for commercial
binding or in-house treatment as appropriate. Neither the Bindery Preparations
Unit, nor Preservation and Conservation complete personal binding for faculty,
staff, students, or the public.
Funding Binding
Library binding is the primary preservation method chosen for well over 35,000 items
within the library's collections annually. As preservation is primarily a collections'
maintenance issue, binding costs are charged to a portion of the Collections Budget.
Instructions for preparing materials for the Bindery Preparations Unit are provided
by the unit.
Binding Guidelines
The Bindery Preparations Unit will complete library binding according to the following
guidelines. Departmental libraries are expected to understand and follow these guidelines:
Analytics - New and Retrospective Binding
- In general, analytics should not be bound together.
- If cataloged separately, analytics should be treated as monographs and bound under
those criteria.
- Analytics will not be bound as sets if cataloged separately.
- For analytics to be bound as a series that have not been bound in five years, it is the
sending library's responsibility to provide the Bindery Preparations staff with buckram colors
and any other applicable information to have it processed properly. If no color is provided,
black buckram will be chosen.
- If no information is provided permitting the Bindery Preparations staff to located the
appropriate bindery records for items to be bound as a series, reasonable effort will be made
to locate the data through searching records and calling. If the data is not provided after a
reasonable time, the items will be returned to the library with a note indicating the reason
for return.
Facsimile Volumes
- Facsimile volumes produced through brittle books processing will be library bound.
Damaged Materials
- Items sent to Preservation and Conservation for repair that are deemed too damaged for
in-house repair will be library bound when possible.
Serials - New and Retrospective Binding
- New Serials/Periodicals - New serial/periodical volumes will be bound as complete volumes
are prepared and sent in accordance with the individual library's serial binding quotas. These
quota levels only include newly received serials/periodicals. As a general rule:
- All periodical titles to be retained permanently will be bound.
- Titles not permanently retained will not be bound, including titles regularly
superceded and withdrawn.
- Multiple copies of periodical titles will be bound only if the titles are retained
permanently at separate locations.
- It is up to the collection manager's discretion if the following items are to be library bound:
- Those for which there is a comparable electronic version (as determined by the
collection manager) to which the library and its patrons have ready access.
- Newspapers that are permanently retained will only be bound if they are not supplanted
by other formats or will not be regularly shifted to remote storage.
- Retrospective binding or boxing projects - Retrospective boxing or binding projects for large
runs of serial titles or unbound collections will be pursued as staff time and budgets permit.
Arrangements for such projects should be made through the Preservation Librarian.
- If no information is provided permitting the Bindery Preparations staff to locate
the appropriate bindery records for titles that libraries indicate have been previously
bound, reasonable effort will be made to locate the data through searching records and
contacting the sending library. If the data is not provided after a reasonable time, the
items will be returned to the library unbound with a note indicating the reason for return.
Monographs - Softbound
- Softbound Books - Unless inappropriate due to physical format, size, damage, or other criteria, the
default binding style will always be mylar binding. Bindery Preparations Unit personnel will make these
decisions.
- Over/Undersize Items - New, softbound monographs greater that 10.5" tall or two inches thick
or 7.5" wide (wide enough to extend beyond the edge of a standard bookshelf) shall be bound
un-circulated. Similarly, undersized (< 6" tall) paperback items shall be bound un-circulated.
They will be routed directly to Bindery Preparations after Cataloging and Marking.
- Standard Items - New, softbound monographs shall be bound un-circulated at the collection
manager's discretion and as the Head of Preservation determines the binding budget will supports.
Collection managers are strongly encouraged to avoid (a) blanket binding for their subject area
and (b) immediately binding the following:
- Paperbacks published on acid-free paper.
- Paperbacks with a sewn through the fold construction.
- Paperbacks with durable cardstock covers.
- All unbound, undamaged paperbacks will be bound after the third circulation. They shall be
sent directly to the Bindery Preparations Unit upon discharge. Preparation of a Monograph binding
streamer is only required for titles in non-Western languages. It is recommended that an OPAC
printout for the title accompany these items.
- Softbound books for reserve holdings or anticipating projected heavy use shall be bound
before circulation at the collection manager's discretion.
- The default binding for softbound items with explicit covers shall be a hard binding with
the covers in place. This decision offers the borrower a certain amount of privacy while
maintaining the cover art.
- Damaged softbound books (e.g., pages falling out) must be sent by libraries through the
usual Preservation and Conservation workflow with a green streamer.
Other Materials
- New Items with Accompanying Materials - New materials that come with maps, booklets, or other
inserts that cannot support the items shall be sent through the normal Preservation and Conservation
workflow directly from Cataloging. If necessary, they will be bound with pockets or bindings appropriate
to the material.
- Undamaged Items - Items that are undamaged shall not be bound. These include the following:
- Spiral bound items,
- Materials in binders that are low-use materials, and
- Other functional, undamaged collection materials.
Pamphlets
- Any pamphlet ¼" or less in thickness shall be routed through the normal Preservation and Conservation
workflow and pamphlet bound by the Conservation Department.
- Most items falling into this category should be pamphlet bound upon receipt.
- Retrospective pamphlet binding projects should be discussed with the Head of Conservation (or
designate) before being sent for binding.
Theses and Dissertations
- Theses and dissertations shall be bound in accordance with the Library's existing specifications
for binding.
Other Notes
There are certain materials for which library binding is not appropriate. These include:
- Archival Materials
- Brittle Materials
- Brittle materials sent through the Preservation and Conservation workflow shall be
routed through the Brittle Books Unit. Subject librarians shall be asked to choose between
a series of options including: tying, boxing, scanning and reprinting, filming, or withdrawing
and replacing with a pre-existing surrogate. When acceptable surrogates exist, this will be
the preferred replacement option.
- Ephemeral Items - Ephemeral items include those that will generally be replaced or superceded by
a more current, complete, or timely version of the original item. Examples of this category include:
- Any items that will be regularly replaced by a cumulative volume or superceded and
withdrawn.
- Publication notices, etc...
- Rare and Semi-rare Items -
- Those with exceptional cover illustrations shall be boxed. Items in this category should
be sent through the Preservation and Conservation workflow.
- Vertical Files
Revised - 8/26/02; Approved by CDC