I touched on some care techniques in a previous guide and have been asked about other issues. With that in mind I thought I would prepare a guide dealing with Leather books.

Environment

Leather books are vulnerable to the environment in which they are kept. The key factors affecting these books are light, temperature and humidity.

Lighting

 Normal incandescent house light is less harmful than sunlight and flourescent lights which have high levels of ultra violet radiation. However any light causes some damage. It is wise (not to mention environmentally and financially beneficial) to keeps lights turned off when not in use and block sunlight using curtains, blinds or filtering films.

Temperature and Humidity

The key here is to provide as constant an environment as possible. 70 degrees farenheit and 50 percent relative humidity are recommended. I live in a climate (Canada) with large temperature and humidity swings. I do not follow recommendations in this regard as I have a library located in the basement of my home. This forces me to be a bit more dilegent than would be required for most book collectors. In my circumstance I allow a 4 degree temperature swing 68 - 72. I maintain 42 percent humidity. While I am close to the recommended temperatures, I reduce my humidity further than recommended because it works for me and do to the basement location a higher humidity can create other problems. Since I have adopted this temperature and humidity my books have suffered no degredation. I do use a humidifier and de-humidifier as without these appliances my humidity would be as low as 16 percent in winter and as high as 80 percent in summer. Many collectors don't have to go to these steps but for those of us that live in climates of extremes it is a necessary step to preserve our collections. Temperature and humidity can cause brittleness, warping, mold.

Shelving

Books displayed vertically need to be squarely upright and firmly supported either by other books or bookends. Angling books promotes spine deformation as well as warping. Bookends should be smooth surfaced (avoids marking the leather) and stable. Large books (oversized) are best laid on their side 2 or 3 high as these are prone to shelf sag. One method to prevent shelf sag is to cut slim strofoam or soft plastic supports the same thickness as the distance between the page edges and the boards. Place this under the pages as you place the book on the shelf. The Franklin signed 60 series were issued with these shelf supports and they really do work. When placing the books on shelves avoid placing them tight to the rear. It is best to allow air circulation. Also it is wise to place the books 2 inches from the shelf front as this provides a visible cue of dust buidup. Another tip I have just been told about (I haven't tried it yet) is to cut protective pads of polyester felt and place them between shelved books. It prevents damage due to rubbing when a book is removed.

Handling

The best part of a book is the enjoyment we get from reading them. Those of us that collect leather books love the way they appear on the shelf or are creating a family heirloom and some use them for investment purposes. In any event handling provides the opportunity for accidental damage. One of the best tips I can share is to wash your hands prior to reading these books. Most dirt and smudges to the pages are simply transference of oily grime from our own fingers.When removing books from the shelf do not grap the headcap. Simply slide the neighboring books back to grab the spine in the middle. When reading the book remember its designed to be craddled. When craddling the book you reduce the strain on the spine and joints. It is unwise to open the book and lay it flat on a table but if you must then use supporting objects for each of the boards. These books are issued with sewn in bookmarks so you should never have to leave it face down on the coffee table.

I hope you found this of some benefit.