How to Repair a Map or Foldout in a Book

When you want to repair a map or foldout you have to remember a few things about how folded paper works. I used to overdo it with the strength of the tissue I used for the repair and I used to think I had to strengthen every fold preventatively. I know better now and can show you the safest way to repair a map so that it holds together for a very long time. If you have books with maps or foldouts in them you will be familiar with the kinds of tears that happen along the folds. It can be really hard to repair them because of course they are attached to the book! You have to be so careful not to create more tears. Avoid creating more problems by using very thin Kozo fiber tissues and archival paste. Re-folding a map can be confusing if it has been pressed into the wrong configuration. Maps, when they are created for books are made so that they fold up, up, up to be less then the height of the page, and then in, in, in so they are stair-stepped to avoid more thickness.

Click the “Lecture” tab below for the complete lesson.

Included in The Lesson:

• Type of Book:  19th century leather book
• This Particular Book: Robert Burns Works
• Issue: The foldout is torn in several places and there is old tape to remove. This foldout does not need cleaning.
• Treatment: Remove old tape and de-acidify affected area then repair the foldout with Kozo tissues and Paste
• 18 Minutes of Video 
• Step by Step Instructions

PERPETUAL CAVEAT: Never repair rare and/or scarce books. When in doubt only do preservation treatments and consult an accredited professional. 

Repair a Map or Foldout: Summary of Steps

• Gather materials and tools: Much of what you need can be found in the Page Repair Kit
• Clean or remove old tape as necessary
• Prop up book
• Line up tears
• Apply tissue with paste

Suggested Next Course: 3-103: Page Repair: Fill in Losses along Page Edges