Best place to find protective book covers

September 1, 2009 10:58 AM

I ordered several used books online recently, and a few came with protective mylar (?) covers. I thought, "Neat!". And am considering doing that to a few other books I have.

But here's where the questions start... Where to order stuff? What, exactly, do I order? How to put it together? Some are self-stick, others require tape. Which is best? I've been to a few book supply sites, and have just gotten more confused.

I will probably want to start small (say, do 5-6 books), then consider going bigger (maybe do another 100 or so books).

posted by ObscureReferenceMan to sports, hobbies, & recreation (5 comments total)

Gaylord Brothers and other library supply companies have all sorts of poly book wrap.
posted by gyusan at 11:09 AM on September 1

At our library we usually use Kapco.

They're pretty easy to apply once you get the hang of it.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 11:24 AM on September 1

Both look good. Similar to what I've seen before. Do they come with instructions, or helpful tips? (Sorry for sounding like a dolt, but... I am.)
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 12:31 PM on September 1

I have worked at a used bookstore, so I am somewhat familiar with the process. In my experience, the act of putting on dust jackets is polarizing-- people either love it or hate it.

I would discourage you from using dust jackets with adhesive. You don't actually need the adhesive, and adhesive tears the inside of the book if you ever have to take it off. I would also point out that dust jackets can be expensive, especially since they come in multiple sizes.

This youtube video shows how to put on an adhesiveless dust jacket. The white flat stick you see in the video is a bone folder.
posted by oceano at 5:02 PM on September 1

People who sell on Amazon apparently like Brodart quite a bit.
posted by thebrokedown at 6:24 PM on September 1