Handling

Retrieving
 

	A common mistake when taking a book from a shelf is tagging the top of its spine with your finger, tearing it over time. Instead, reach over the top of your book to its fore-edge and then pull it out, or, push in its adjacent books and with a strong grip around the spine pull it off the shelf; support its bottom with the other hand as you carry it out.  Then, pull the shelf's remaining books back together
	Don't move book stacks, as they slide and topple easily.  To remove a large book from a stack, set aside the volumes above it and then retrieve it; reverse this process when returning it to the stack
	Record your book loans, and brief your friends on the need for careful handling; as books are notoriously never returned, you may keep copies of your favorite books to share

Holding
 

	As collectible books are fragile and sensitive, please do not eat, drink or smoke while handling them; also, don't lean on them or rest your hands on their illustrations
	Be gentle with your book's dust jacket, as most damage easily, significantly lowering the book's market value; don't clip the price off your valuable jacket. Use a polyester jacket cover, or, store the dust jacket separately while the book is being used; polyester covers also help protect leather books
	To keep your book tight, open it only enough to read comfortably, around 135 degrees; support its covers underneath to avoid hinge cracking.  Do not place an open book face down (hinges); also, many  wooden lecterns and reading stands hold your book at too great an angle, straining its binding.  Please don't write over your book, for that leaves indentations
	To turn your pages, especially in very large books, gently slide your fore-finger over the page's top edge, and then push the page's back-side over; don't wet your fingers or use a pencil, etc to turn them
	To make photocopies or scans, use a book-friendly machine or a professional copy service to help keep your books' hinges tight; don't press down on your book's spine-- a book should only open up around 135 degrees instead of fully.  Support your book in the process, to prevent the folding of pages, the twisting of the binding, and the textblock hanging from the spine

Marking
 

	If you need to write or highlight on your book, use a pencil lightly, as it may be erased later; although, notations by notable people is of extra value to the future book owner.  Some book collectors find writing on the title-page or half-title undesirable
	To use bookplates to record your books' ownership, paste acid-free ones on your books' endpapers; some book collectors prefer purchasing used books with imaginative bookplates, if any, unless the book's provenance is noteworthy
	Please do not fold your pages, especially in books that are acidic (they yellow and brittle); don't place in them post-it notes-- use thin, acid-free bookmarks
	Please do not place into your books tape (except book-repair tape), paper clips (they indent), staples (they rust), thick inserts (they crack the spine), flowers (they stain- wrap in wax paper first), acidic articles (unless they're wrapped acid-free) or rubber bands (they deteriorate rapidly)
	You may store your books' historical material separately, perhaps in acid-free scrapbooks; enclose acidic articles in plastic or acid-free paper pouches to avoid migration of acid to the scrapbook or other ephemera