In this context, the term “wrapper” refers to an enclosure made to fit a book. Wrappers are relatively quick to make and although usually considered a temporary measure, they can last quite a number of years. They provide excel- lent protection for fragile books. Wrappers are most suit- able for smaller books: if you need both hands to pick up a book, it is probably too heavy for a wrapper. A box made from heavier board should be ordered for it from one of the suppliers listed in appendix B.
Wrappers can be made from various lightweight boards. Many boards measure 32" × 40" (81 × 101.5 cm) in size; in order to make wrappers efficiently, it is neces- sary to have a cutter that can cut at least 32" (81 cm). (See
“Cutters” in section 2, p. 36, for descriptions of cutters.) A knife and straightedge can be used, but the process becomes much more time-consuming and generally gives less accurate results.
We give directions for making two styles of wrap- pers. Both can be made from boards of various thick- nesses. Ten-point bristol or card stock can be used, but 20- point board will give better results in most cases. Board may be sold under the names bristol, card stock, map folder stock, folder stock, and others. Other light boards may be used if they can be folded as explained in “Scor- ing and Folding” in section 2, p. 50. Heavier boards gen- erally require the use of a creasing machine, a major piece of equipment.
In both versions, the wrapper is made in two pieces, one vertical, the other horizontal. The grain direction of both pieces must be parallel to the folds to ensure sharp folds (in the short direction of each piece). Labs that produce a large number of wrappers often precut a quantity of pieces in several frequently used sizes. The board pieces can be trimmed quickly for a custom fit.
Each piece is wrapped around the book at right angles to the other and the two pieces are fastened together with double-coated tape. Wrappers of both styles stay closed without the need for fasteners.
Place a triangle against the fore edge of the
book to determine its thickness (fig. 3-10).
After measuring the thickness of the book, proceed to cut board for the style of wrapper you prefer.
SIMPLE PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES Fig. 3-7
Fig. 3-8
Fig. 3-9
Fig. 3-10
Kyle Wrapper
This wrapper was developed at the New York Botanical Garden around 1980 during the time that Hedi Kyle was head of the preservation department.
V E RT I C A L P I E C E
Place the book on a sheet of board, making sure the grain of the board is at right angles to the spine of the book (this way the folds will be withthe grain). Align it along two edges, and mark the measurements (fig. 3-11).
Cut a piece of board the width (W) of the book by approximately 2½ times its height (H) + twice its thick- ness (T), or W × 2.5H + 2T.
Center the book on the vertical piece. Mark the folds on the board with a bone folder, using the top and bottom edges of the book as guides. Remove the book, fold the board at each crease, and sharpen with a bone folder. (Or place the board in a cutter, as shown in fig.
2-47, on p. 51, and crease the folds against the cutting edge of the cutter.) Make sure the folds are parallel to each other (fig. 3-12).
Cut a thumb notch on one side. A ¾" gouge (a type of chisel) is useful for this step (fig. 3-13).
Place the vertical piece on waste mat board; put the blade of the gouge on the spot where the notch will go and use a hammer to cut the notch away.
You can also use a quarter as a template. Draw around it lightly with a pencil and then cut with small scissors.
A V-shaped notch can also be made, but it is more likely to tear than a rounded one.
Angle the corners of the flaps.
Fold the flaps around the book (fig. 3-14). It should fit snugly. Keep the book in this piece of the wrapper while measuring for the next part.
H O R I Z O N TA L P I E C E Place the book, wrapped in the vertical piece, on the board, this time with the grain running parallel to the spine of the book (fig. 3-15).
Cut a long piece the height (H) of the book wrapped in the verti- cal piece by twice the width, plus 3 times the thickness, plus 2" (5 cm), or H
× 2W + 3T + 2"
(5 cm).
SIMPLE PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES Fig. 3-14
Fig. 3-15 Fig. 3-11
Fig. 3-12
Fig. 3-13
Make the first fold a little less than one thickness (T) from the right edge and stand the flap up. (See right side of fig. 3-16.) Push the wrapped book against this flap and continue to fold and crease around the book.
Sharpen folds with a bone folder. After making the last fold, trim off the excess board, leaving a flap about 2" (5 cm) wide. Angle the corners (fig. 3-16).
Apply double-coated tape to the middle section of the vertical piece, opposite the thumb notch.
Place the horizontal piece on top of the vertical piece. When they are aligned properly, take the paper strip off the double-coated tape and rub the two parts together.
Wrap the book, folding the flaps in the sequence shown in figure 3-17.
Pull flap 5 over the short flap (3) and insert it into the space behind the thumb notch.
Attach title and call number labels on the out- side of the narrow panel between flap 5 and panel 4.
Fig. 3-16
Fig. 3-17
SIMPLE PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES
Fig. 3-18
68
Academy Wrapper This is a wrapper design developed at the New York
Academy of Medicine around 1990 under the direction of Elaine Schlefer, head of the preservation department until 2003. We are grateful to her for providing us with a model of this enclosure.
A pair of gauges are used to determine the shape and size of the tongue that closes the wrapper (fig. 3-18). Photo- copy this page, cut the templates apart, and paste them on light board. Then trim the excess away so you have two angled gauges. (Note:
Fig. 3-18 has been reduced by 10%
for reproduc- tion in this book.)
V E RT I C A L P I E C E
Place the book on a sheet of board, making sure the grain of the board is at right angles to the spine of the book.
Align it along two edges and mark the measurements.
Cut a piece of board the width (W) of the book by 3 times its height (H) + twice its thickness (W × 3H + 2T).
Center the book on the vertical piece. Mark the folds on the board with a bone folder, using the top and bottom edges of the book as guides. Remove the book, fold the board at each crease, and sharpen with a bone folder. (Or place the board in a cutter, as shown in fig.
2-47, on p. 51, and crease the folds against the cutting edge of the cutter.) Make sure the folds
are parallel to each other (fig. 3-19).
Fold the flaps around the book. It should fit snugly. Keep the book in this piece while measuring for the next part.
H O R I Z O N TA L P I E C E
Place the book, wrapped in the vertical piece, on the board, this time with the grain running parallelto the spine of the book.
Mark the height of the book, wrapped in the ver- tical piece, on the board and cut a long piece the height (H) of the book by 3 times the width + twice the thickness (H × 3W + 2T).
Put the book (in the vertical piece) at one end
of the horizontal piece and mark the folds. Take the book out, and crease the folds sharply, making sure they are parallel to each other.
Open the horizontal piece out on the countertop to mark the flap where the tongue will be cut. The tongue should be about 2" (5 cm) wide by about 2" long, but can vary according to the size of the book.
Use the gauge to mark the board so that a tongue of the appropriate size will be left when the excess board is cut away. If the same letters and numbers show at the edges of the board, the tongue will be centered. In figure 3-20, the gauges are positioned at 4, to determine the
length of the tongue, and at P, to determine its width. The tongue is less likely to tear if holes are punched at the corners with an awl before cutting. Cut the board away and then cut the sharp points off the tongue to make it easier to insert into the slit (fig. 3-21).
Assemble the two pieces, with the book inside, mak- ing sure that the tongue is on top. Make two pencil marks for the slit, using the corners at the base of the tongue as guides. (See right side of fig. 3-20.) Take the horizontal piece off and place it on a cutting mat. The slit should be about ¹⁄₁₆" (2 mm) wider than the tongue. Punch holes at each end, then line up a straightedge with the two holes and cut the slit with a knife. Be careful not to go past the punched holes. (See right side of fig. 3-21.)
Using double-coated tape, connect the two parts of the wrapper together, with the vertical piece insidethe horizontal one.
SIMPLE PRESERVATION TECHNIQUES Fig. 3-20
Fig. 3-19
Fig. 3-21
Number the flaps as shown in figure 3-22. This is the order in which they should be closed. Put the book in the wrapper, close it, and insert the tongue into the slit.
Attach title and call number labels on the narrow panel next to the panel with the slit. This ensures that the wrapper won’t open when it is inserted between books on the shelf.
Other styles of wrappers are described in NEDCC Technical Leaflet 33, “Card Stock Enclosures for Small Books,” by Richard Horton.