Part 11 (1/2)

The main obstacle to the successful culmination of the plan lay in the inability of librarians to order books before publication, and in the inability of publishers to make special editions after the book had been published. The success of ”Tides of Barnegat” was due largely to the fact that the author and book were well known in advance of publication.

Librarians knew at once that they wanted the book and the orders were filed promptly. In the case of nearly every other book which Scribner published in this way librarians could not decide until they had actually seen the book, or at least had seen reviews of it. Quite naturally they sent in few orders for the books. On the other hand Scribner did not care to bind a large number of books in special binding unless they had some a.s.surance that the books would be sold; and they could not at any time afford to manufacture a very small number. It seemed impossible to bridge this gap which existed between the publisher and the librarian.

Other reasons which worked against the success of the plan were:

(_a_) The apathy of the library world in general. In spite of efforts made both by publishers and by those librarians specially interested; in spite of the proved success and economy of the best reinforced bindings, librarians in general paid little attention to them.

(_b_) The opposition of booksellers. This opposition was not violent at any time; but a special edition for one cla.s.s of buyers inevitably entailed more labor upon jobbers and booksellers with no financial return, since there was no discount on the 10c. extra cost. It followed that orders from librarians for the special library editions were filled by some jobbers with regular editions; and the time required to exchange the copy of a regular edition for one of a special edition was generally sufficient to prevent the librarian from returning the books. Had it been possible to have one central bureau to bunch orders and to distribute them, greater success might have resulted.

While the effort to induce publishers to issue special library editions and to keep them in stock was a failure, there were nevertheless good results from the venture. While most of the commercial bindings are no better to-day than they were ten years ago, yet the publishers know that something better is needed for library use. Small books which are used by children and receive hard usage are as a rule much stronger bound than formerly, and will last as long as they are needed. As one direct result of the agitation, the well-known Everyman's set can now be obtained in a library binding. Certain large reference books, such as Webster's and the Century dictionaries, U. S. Catalog, etc., have been put into the strongest possible binding. In these cases the publishers have tried to meet the demands of librarians.

When the publishers ceased to make special editions for libraries several library binders undertook to supply books in this form. Their method was to buy the books from the publishers, remove the covers, resew the books in the most approved library style and replace the books in the publisher's covers. When this cover wears out the sewing is so good that it is only necessary to recover either with a regular leather-back binder's cover, or with a home-made cloth cover. By this method the librarian is a.s.sured of a book in the same cover as the regular edition, the necessity of sending orders in advance of publication is obviated, and the publishers, jobbers and booksellers do not have to keep a stock of a special edition. In practice the plan works well.

Librarians for years have been annoyed because certain books, such as the Brownie books, have given such poor service no matter how they were bound. In the original boards they went to pieces very quickly and the paper was of such a character that they were hard to rebind. The strong leather bindings bound from the sheets were too strong because the paper wore out long before the binding. In 1912 books of this character, through the initiative of Mr. H. R. Huntting in Springfield, Ma.s.sachusetts, were sewed by the Samson-back method, a strong machine sewing; they were then covered with cloth and the paper covers, so attractive to children, pasted on the outside. The cost of the books was much less than that of the leather-back binding and they were much more attractive. The Samson-back method of reinforcement therefore practically solved the problem of binding large thin books with wide margins at the back, precisely the books that had given librarians the most trouble.

CHAPTER VII

COST

Binding is a work of repair, not one of expansion, and consequently the amount spent for this purpose adds little to the resources of the library. The modern librarian does not begrudge money for salaries; heat, light and the general up-keep are items that cannot be reduced materially in most libraries. But money spent on binding reduces the funds available for new books. Therefore, a study of the many ways in which binding bills can be made smaller is well worth while.

Two elements, material and labor, enter into the cost of binding, labor of course forming the larger part. Since the cost of labor varies in different parts of the United States, it is impossible to give figures of cost applicable to all places. Furthermore, as the cost of both material and labor is increasing constantly any statement made at the present time might be wrong a year from now.

So far as figures of cost are concerned, it therefore seems best to discuss maximum and minimum figures. On this basis it is fair to a.s.sume that it will not be necessary at any time in the near future to pay more than fifty cents a book for fiction and juvenile books eight inches or less in height, bound in cowhide, government cloth, or the more expensive imperial morocco cloth. For this amount the librarian should get the best binding obtainable. As high a price as this is actually charged by a few binders only, some of whom are justified in so doing because they give full value for the money, or because the cost of their labor is high.

If less than thirty-five cents is paid for fiction and juvenile books eight inches high, it is probable that the binding is not serviceable and therefore not economical; but in rare cases bindings costing thirty cents a volume will give excellent service. When low prices are charged the librarian should be sure that, taking the ratio of cost to circulation into consideration, he is getting full value. In general, it may be said that he who gets fiction and juvenile books well bound for less than forty cents a volume is to be congratulated. Naturally, this statement does not apply to the large libraries which bind a large number of books every month, and can therefore obtain better rates than the smaller libraries.

For books bound in cowhide or cloth, the cost increases at the rate of from fifteen to twenty cents a volume for every two inches in height.

The price of the smallest volumes bound in morocco is considerably greater than of those bound in other materials, and the increase according to size is also somewhat greater. One dollar is the highest price paid within the knowledge of the writer for an eight-inch morocco book, and sixty cents the lowest price. The difference in the value of the work about corresponds to the difference in price.

Periodicals bound in government cloth, or duck, may cost from fifty-five cents to eighty cents a volume ten inches or less in height, increasing fifteen cents to twenty cents a volume for every two inches in height.

Newspapers well bound should not cost less than $2.00 a volume, nor over $4.00. More variations will be found in the prices for newspapers than in any other kind of binding.

Most binders are paid a certain amount for books eight inches high or less, the prices differing according to the material used. The price in a few cases increases with each inch or fraction thereof in height to ten inches; in most cases the increase is for each two inches or fraction. For example, a book which measures eight and one quarter inches in height is charged for at the ten inch rate. One which measures ten and one quarter inches at the twelve inch rate. Sometimes an extra charge for books which are much thicker than usual is justified.

The following schedule covers practically all the different sizes and materials which the librarian must take into consideration. The prices given are those actually charged by a good library binder.

REBINDING

Adult and Juvenile and Miscellaneous Books Not Exceeding 2 Inches in Thickness

8 in. 9 in. 10 in. 12 in.

Half Pigskin or Cowhide 45 55 65 85 Full Cloth (Library Buckram) 40 50 60 80 Full Imperial Morocco Cloth 45 55 65 85

Extra sizes 14 in. 16 in. per inch Half Pigskin or Cowhide 1.10 1.30 20 cents Full Cloth (Library Buckram) 1.00 1.20 15 cents Full Imperial Morocco Cloth 1.10 1.30 20 cents