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The Pursuit of Loneliness - Philip Slater, 1976

7/19/2019

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From out the treasure chest that is the Little Free Libraries here in DC comes a surprisingly powerful read. I picked this sorry volume up after noticing its nakedness and disrepair, only to carry it around in the same state for weeks while poring over its pages. Finally, as I swept through the final chapter, I was overcome by the desire to return it to the wild in a better condition than I found it, and I hope whoever finds this volume next will consider my efforts a success to that end.
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The textblock has seen better days and is crucially acidified, moisture-stained, and torn. A friend who watched me pick this volume up begged me to leave it so, lest the story of the life it has lived be lost.
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​New protective endsheets added
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Japanese kozo hinge and spine liner added
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Boards cut
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Brown cloth case and title label recovered from the original paperback back cover. Nothing will stop the paper in this mass-produced volume from acidifying, browning, and eventually turning to dust, but until then, I can rest easy knowing that it has clothes enough to thrive in the hands and eyes of a few more readers.
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Brave New World - Aldous Huxley, 1989

6/24/2019

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On a recent walk through Washington, DC, I stopped at a Little Free Library (and how could I not?) and picked up a worn paperback edition of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. Having recently moved to the city, I've been desperate for a reason to pick up a bonefolder again - here was my reprieve! 
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Both the front and back covers were badly chipped, and the toning inside suggested they weren't going to stronger with age...
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...in fact, someone had already gone ahead and plastered clear packing tape inside both covers and across the spine, much to my chagrin.
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Having limited tools in my new apartment, I attempted to remove the tape mechanically from the first and last pages of the textblock using my craft knife...
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...and it worked out surprisingly well.
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New endsheets and tissue flaps for board attachment.
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Faux-red leather book cloth will hopefully catch the eye of some other passerby when this book re-enters the Little Free Library pool.
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Post-move, this was a wonderful 2-day project to get my hands back to work. This is far from a masterpiece, but the cloth and board case will ensure the novel makes it into at least a few more hands before it's through. For me, that's what bookbinding is all about.
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