Looking After Your Books

Have you ever wondered whether the books you have at home form a 'collection'? Do you want to reorganise it? Expand it? Or repair some of your treasured volumes?

This quirky yet practical guide covers questions book lovers might have about caring for their books at home. With historical anecdotes and curious examples at every turn, it will delight anyone with an interest in books and their history. Written by an expert rare books librarian at the Bodleian Libraries and covering a range of subjects including collecting, arranging and keeping books in good condition, its friendly advice will guide you through all aspects of book-ownership.

Here you will find helpful tips on buying from bookfairs, bookshops, and dealers, as well as on identifying first editions. Help is on hand with treating accidental mishaps and a range of common problems afflicting books, whether an attack of red rot or a broken spine. There are also chapters on shelving, how to keep track of your books, how to commission a special box for a special book and how to pass books on usefully. An indispensable resource for anyone who cherishes books.

'As a collector of all things, including books, I was captivated by this enchanting guide. A book of books that's a must for all bibliophiles.' - Lara Maiklem (author of Sunday Times bestseller Mudlarking: Lost and Found on the River Thames, Bloomsbury, 2019)

'Francesca Galligan is an expert guide whose advice manages to be both practical and aspirational. Make room for this book!' - Emma Smith (author of The Making of Shakespeare's First Folio, Bodleian Library Publishing, 2023)

Hardback.