Stopped by the old library in Salem and the repair shelf was empty

I was there to check out their special collections room, but what really got me was seeing the mending cart in the back with nothing on it. The librarian said they send everything out now, even simple hinge fixes. It made me think about how many of us used to learn by fixing those public library castoffs. Does anyone still get books from local libraries for practice, or is that just a thing of the past?

3 comments

3 Comments

grant.kevin1mo ago

Our library system's last book mender retired a few years back. They told me the same thing, everything goes to a central bindery now.

markt611mo ago

Read an article a while back about this exact shift. It said the skills for book repair are fading fast because it's cheaper to send things out. Makes sense for budgets, but it's a real loss. Those menders knew every book's history and could fix anything. A central bindery just slaps on a generic new cover. The local touch is completely gone now.

gavin_mason3114d ago

I mean, I used to think sending books out was just more efficient, but hearing stuff like what @grant.kevin said really shows what's lost. It's not just about fixing a spine, it's that person who knew which kids' books got chewed on by dogs or which cookbooks had gravy stains. They'd match the old cloth perfectly. Now it's just a factory fix, and the book comes back looking like a stranger on your shelf.