Book care tips

Water is the enemy of books, and ultraviolet light, smoke and sticky fingers,' he says. 'A clean cotton sock is the best thing for dusting the edges. Books are also furniture; you clean your furniture so you should clean your books.'
A sticky price label on a book can be removed using a hairdryer set on low to soften the glue. A drop of Varsol will remove residue.
A large, soft, clean eraser will remove any inside markings.
Straighten dog ears , turned down corners , using a cool iron.
What if you have a book with a dirty cloth cover? 'There is a glop called Clean Cover Gel that's incredible,' he says. 'I used to buy old books and then put the gel on and the dirt disappeared so I could sell the book for a lot more.'
Never discard a torn dust jacket. 'The dust jacket is half the value of the book. You can repair it with two pieces of wax paper and some good acid-free glue. You put one piece of wax paper under the tear, run the glue thinly along the tear, cover with the second piece of wax paper, put a weight on it and go away. When you come back, the tear will be sealed. Wax paper won't stick to anything , impossible.