It's an old book printed in the ussr I bought from a street bookseller, idk if tape or glue is a good idea
There's special book repairing tape that you should use for this.
this post was submitted on 22 Aug 2026
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idk where i can find it (since i live in algeria i doubt i'd have access to it) but i'll look for it thank you
I think you can do an OK job repairing it with just PVA glue. Brush it into the spine. Use a thin layer, not too much. You will want to place parchment paper between the pages at the site of the split. Then close the book, hold it for a couple minutes, press in a bit on the spine to help the cover on the spine attach to the drying glue. Place a couple rubber bands around it to hold it in place (optional), place it under a stack of other books for weight, leave it alone for a day while the glue cures.
I recommend looking up "paperback cracked spine repair" on YouTube to see examples of professionals doing the repair so you can learn. PVA glue is acid-free and dries flexible, which are the two most important qualities in book-repair glue.
thank you so much that's so informative
You'll have to make a new cover. You will need some book binding glue so you can put it in a new cover. If you can find a good printing service, you could buy some cover stock to print it on and have a new cover ready to go. As for the process of doing so, you'll have to learn that on your own.
i love the old cover tho :(
Public libraries rebind books, maybe you could ask your local one.
i have no idea if they actually do that in algeria, our local libraries are just rooms with tables in which you can study in silence, but i'll try with the big city library
If you can afford it, get a professional. If you can't, maybe you can trade some labor for the service, or offer labor in exchange for learning? I don't know if either of these are possibilities, I don't know your circumstances or the culture, apologize if it's unhelpful.
is book binding a professional thing people do? or is it like restoration work?
Both!
It's still practiced as an artisanal craft, and yes there are also professional restorers, but obviously it's not as widespread as it once was and nowadays it's mostly something that people learn as a hobby. You can definitely find tutorials and niche online communities around it.
i think i'm kinda familiar with it, i've been binding my own sketchbooks for a little more than 2 years, tho my technique is really basic like poking holes in a pile of papers and sewing them together
If it's an antique book and you have the funds available, I'd look into professional restoration, assuming the rest of it is in good enough condition to justify the expense.
I am trying to learn how to bookbind
But repairing old or decaying or worn books is probably a bit more worthwhile.
The only thing I can think of is to maybe make another cover and preserve the pages?
the cover looks really cool tho i don't want to get rid of it
Yeah good point
Maybe find a way to replicate or make a copy of the cover and back over but yeah, definitely try to preserve it if you can.