Poor man’s library book cover

When it comes to protecting books I’m a bit OCD.  Most people hate the clear vinyl covers that librarians wrap around books, but I love them.  Not only do they protect the book, but being a bit of a mysophobe, I like the fact that I can wipe the cover clean with some rubbing alcohol without hurting the book.  After all, who knows what kind of hygiene practices the previous patron had?

Anyhow, my affinity for book protection led me to scour the internet for clear vinyl covers for my own private collection.  I found a host of websites, some of whom sold library equipment, bookshelves, etc.  I got lost day dreaming of creating my own home library, book cart included, when I remembered that I was searching for book covers.  I did find a lot of good solutions to my book protection needs, ranging from manual application to machines that can actually do the job for you.  The only problem with all of these solutions, was the fact that they all cost a lot of money.  Each book cover cost anywhere between $1 to $5 dollars, not cheap for a man with a budget.  What is a poor bibliophile to do?

Glancing around my man cave I noticed that I had an over-abundance of sheet protectors.  Hmmm… Sheet Protectors + Scissors + Tape + Book = Solution.  A few minutes later I had my first specimen finished.  Will it last for all eternity?  Probably not.  Is it a professional job?  No.  Was it cheap?  Yes!  Happy protecting, my friends!

One thought on “Poor man’s library book cover

  1. All through primary and secondary school in the US, we were always required to cover our textbooks. This was because they were loaned and covering them prolonged their utility. We had to use a paper or material that was strong enough to withstand being handled and shoved into book bags hundreds of times during the year. Newspaper wouldn’t work as it was too flimsy.

    Brown paper grocery bags were ideal since they were durable, abundant and totally free. I usually used those or white printing press paper. My parents worked for a printing company and would bring home the remnants of the enormous paper rolls.

    We weren’t allowed to tape the cover to the book, so we had to origami it so that it wouldn’t slip off. After making textbook covers for so many years we all became experts. I haven’t made one in years but I still remember how.

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