BOOK REPAIR

Simple fixes to damaged children’s books

___
By Bambi Hughes

OVERVIEW
A nurtured love for reading is important to every child. A story can give a child the
experience of a magical adventure. Through stories, children can learn and grow in
incredible ways. However, when children are passionate about reading, their books can
pay the price—torn pages, ripped covers, and broken spines! This learning module will
cover how to make simple repairs to damaged children’s books so that these treasures
can continue to be read in the future. I have been repairing books for several years now
in elementary schools and public libraries. I decided to create this module after seeing
the children’s joy when their favorite book comes out of the book hospital! With this
module, you will be given basic descriptions of techniques, images, and videos to repair
your injured books. You will also gain preventative techniques to protect your books
from damage in the future!
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Needs Analysis

My findings on why instruction is necessary and what challenges or opportunities the

instruction will address.

1. Specific Instruction
The instruction will include basic tips on how to determine whether or not a
book can be repaired. After determining whether the book is mendable, the
instruction will contain information for each type of damage and what tools will
be needed to repair it. The repair method will be explained in depth with photos
and tips. There will also be a section on preventative techniques to protect books
from damage in the future. These instructions are necessary to teach the
audience to keep children’s books in good condition for years to come.

2. Overarching Goals
This instruction aims to provide ways to maintain children’s books so that these
treasures can continue to be read in the future. Books come and go when they are
in children's hands, but the damages are often repairable. Anyone can learn to
repair books rather than throw them away. It will save parents, librarians, and
anyone with a collection money that could be spent on expanding their
collection with new books. It will also save children and adults from the
heartbreak of losing their favorite books to damage. This instruction will be
designed to achieve these goals for anyone willing to learn.

3. Skills, Competencies, or New Knowledge to Meet Goals

The student must gain the knowledge to decide when a book is irreparable and
must be thrown away. They should also go through each lesson to become
competent in deciding which repair method is necessary. The student should
then learn to use those methods, which will often take practice.

4. Prerequisite Knowledge
There should be no prerequisite knowledge necessary for this lesson. The
instruction will explain simple terms such as what the spine or cover of a book is.
Tools such as tapes, glues, and bone folders will also be explained as necessary.
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The tools will have links on where to purchase them, as well as include
alternative household items that may work in some cases.

5. Repeated Instruction
Instruction may need to be expanded as new methods or alternative tools of
repairs are discovered. This instruction will only include repair tips that I have
learned from my experience in public and school libraries. Because the
knowledge comes from my individual training, it is limited, and I will provide
links to further information for learners.

User Assessment

Benefits of Instruction
This instruction will provide parents and librarians with ways to maintain children’s
books so they may continue to be read. Children are still learning how to handle books
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with care, but often these accidents are repairable. Anyone can learn to repair books
rather than toss them to buy new ones. It will save parents and school librarians money
that could be spent on expanding their collections of magical stories. Anyone that
provides books to children can benefit from learning to maintain these items as well as
how to protect them from damage in the future.

The instruction might also be applied to other types of books, making this a good place
to start for anyone interacting with damaged books. I will provide options for expanding
the learner’s knowledge to more advanced methods of repair and tips.

Instructional Goals

By the end of this unit of instruction, students should be able to successfully repair any
minor damages to children’s books and identify if an item is repairable. Students should
feel comfortable with basic repair techniques and concepts.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this module, students will be able to:

● Identify the parts of a book (cover, spine, etc.)

● Determine if a children’s book can or cannot be fixed by analyzing its condition
● Assess what tools will be needed for book repairs based on the damage to the
item
● Prove they can basic repairs to minor damages to children’s books through
assessment

Overview of the Instructional Content

Topics
1. The parts of a book
2. Determining if the damage is able to be repaired
3. Cut or torn pages/jackets
4. Torn-out pages
5. Loose or worn hinges
6. Worn spine
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7. Broken hinge or spine

8. Torn-off cover
9. Book corners and head caps
10. Wet pages
11. Damage prevention

Modes for Didactic

● Teacher will provide lecture with visuals of book repair methods
● Students will view lectures of book repair methods
● Students will have hands-on experience with mending items
● Teacher will provide discussion opportunities for students

Resources
● Teacher’s guide
Explains the instructional process to the student and provides reference material
and background information regarding book mending
● Book Map
Diagram of the parts of a book
● Tool Kit
List of tools needed book repairs and where to find them
● Videos
Provide visuals of each method of book repair

Assessments
● Students will successfully identify damage and if it is able to be repaired
● Students will successfully mend damage to an item
● Students will successfully protect an item from future damage

Events of Instruction

The teacher will begin by giving visual diagrams of books and their many parts. The
students will then be encouraged to share what types of damage they are most
accustomed to in their line of work or personal life. The teacher will present options for
tools needed for the class and where to acquire them. The class fee will cover a basic kit
of these items for hands-on practice. (10 min)
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The teacher will engage students through lectures and visual directions for book
mending and damage prevention methods. Students will be able to view a variety of
examples of damage, along with what tools will be used for repair. Students will also be
made aware of damages that are unable to be repaired with the methods in this class.
(40 min)

The student will practice hands-on repair techniques, communicating with the teacher
throughout their progress. The teacher will review the repairs made with the student.
(30 min)

A simple test will be given to students to prove their understanding of the parts of a
book, types of damage, techniques for repair, and future damage prevention. (20 min)

The teacher will review with students that did not get above 80% of the test correct, as
well as any students that reach out. There will be an open discussion of what the
student felt was difficult to understand or to put into practice. The student may also
share the techniques that felt easiest for them and what was helpful for them in the
course. (20 min)

Context and Settings

The learning environment for this module is fully online, incorporating visuals and
video meetings as needed. This learning environment will be accessible to all types of
individuals. The content of this module needs to be available to people with full-time
work or busy lifestyles, such as librarians and parents. The students will need to
practice the methods independently, but the instructor will be available for any
questions or concerns with the process. This setting will create a successful learning
environment for both the student and instructor. The instructor and students will need
access to the internet and a device able to access course materials. The course materials
will be in English, but the instructor might pursue translations as needed by the
students. Students will be comfortable and familiar with the setting but will need to
designate a clean surface to perform hands-on methods.
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Technology Overview and Rationale

Technology will play a huge role in this course, as it is a fully-online. However, Any
advanced technology needed will be solely used by the instructor. The course will be
created as a webpage using HTML and JavaScript. The instructor will design the
webpage themself or enlist help while using HTML and Javascript to do so. By creating
the course this way, the instructor will have more authority over the course and its
overall layout. This format will contain all lectures, videos, quizzes, discussions, and
links in a single webpage. While it would be beneficial to have a system such as
Desire2Learn to run this course, this may not be feasible depending on the situation. An
essential part of using a single webpage is that each lesson or module can be clearly
labeled and able to be accessed separately from the others using the site. Course
instruction will be available through accessible text on the website, and videos will be
available through YouTube links, with included closed captions, as well as through the
course’s main instruction site. The instructor should not need to edit any videos.
However, Youtube allows the user to crop out portions of the video if and when the need
arises. Students will be able to interact with course materials on the site in a self-paced,
asynchronous setting with self-administered online lectures and quizzes. Feedback will
also be provided to students directly on the site.
Students will not need to use a variety of technology tools for this format. With
this design, a student should only need a stable internet connection, a device
able to access the course webpage, their provided toolkit, and video recording
capabilities for the final assessment.

SECTIONS Model
S: Students
● Student demographics
Students will be of varying ages. The content will be simplified for varying
degrees of education and understanding.
The content of this module needs to be available to people with full-time work or
busy lifestyles, such as librarians and parents. Therefore, an online,
asynchronous approach will be most accessible.
Students needing translation services will need to contact the instructor for
accommodations.
● Access
Students will need access to the internet and a device able to access course
materials. The instructor cannot provide either. Therefore, this will be listed
clearly in the course description before enrollment.
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Course instruction will be available through a variety of accessible file types.

Videos will be available through YouTube and the course’s main instruction site.
If a student cannot access any materials, the instructor will provide support.
E: Ease of use
● Computer and information literacy
A basic set of literacy skills will be required. The student needs to be able to read
and write, use a keyboard, and navigate instructional materials digitally.
The instructor will explain in the course description what is involved with
studying online, asynchronously and how to make the most of a distance
learning course.
● Orientation
There will be an orientation into the course site and how to navigate it.
Accessing materials will be simple and guided. There will not be any new
software introduced in this course.
● Interface Design
The interface will be simple and accessible. Students with disabilities will have
options for accessibility and can reach out to the instructor for further
accommodations. However, the course will be made with accessibility as a top
priority.
● Reliability
The course site will be reliable, and students should not have trouble accessing
the materials. The instructor will provide technical support and leniency when
necessary.
C: Costs
● Development
The production cost of this course will be a fixed amount per student, assuming
the course has around 10-15 students. The instructor will provide videos of
repair methods. Therefore, the tools needed for mending books, as well as the
production of the visual and text materials will need to be considered. (~$30)
● Delivery
The course's delivery cost will depend on the number of students enrolled.
Instructional time spent with the students will be low due to the asynchronous
nature of the course. However, the instructor will be available as necessary for
one-on-one meetings. (~$10)
● Maintenance
The maintenance costs of the course include updating the URL and readings.
New developments to course materials may also be added. Content replacement
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and updating should also be considered as new mending methods are discovered.
(~10)
● Experience of Instructor
The instructor for this course has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and
certificates in literature and creative writing. The instructor has three years of
professional experience with mending and preventing book damage. (~$20)
● Overheads
The license for the learning management system, lecture capture technology,
and video streaming servers are considered for this course's cost. However, the
students will not be charged a fee for these overheads. (~$0)
● Tool kits
The students in this course will pay a small fee for a required tool kit. The tool kit
will be shipped to them before the course begins. The students may opt out of
some items in the tool kit if they can find materials independently, lowering the
cost. (~$30)
T: Teaching functions
● Design
Coherence: The course will be simple, avoiding extraneous words, pictures, and
sounds.
Signaling: The students will have access to cues that highlight the organization
of the essential material.
Avoid Redundancy: Graphics with narration will be included. Captions may be
made available if requested but are optional.
Spatial and Temporal contiguity: Corresponding words and pictures will be
presented near each other and simultaneously in instructional materials.
Segmenting: Multimedia lessons will be presented in user-paced segments rather
than as continuous lessons.
Pre-training: Students will get basic information, or pre-training, before moving
on to main concepts or ideas.
Multimedia: Visuals will be available with text information.
Personalization: Words will be in conversational style rather than formal style.
Voice: The instructor will do narration rather than a generated voice.
● Effectiveness
Access and ease of access will be heavily considered when designing the online
course. Students that have an easier time accessing the materials will find the
course more effective.
I: Interaction
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● Learning Materials
Students will interact with course materials in a self-paced, asynchronous
setting. There will be self-administered online tests to provide feedback to
students on their comprehension or coverage of a subject area. The students will
also interact will methods and tools in hands-on practice.
● Instructor
Student-teacher interaction will be available through one-on-one meetings and
online collaboration. There will be a discussion forum available, as well as email
to contact the instructor directly.
● Students
Students will be able to interact with each other through a discussion forum.
Before contacting the instructor, they may want to connect with peers to discuss
the methods and any questions.
● Media and Technology
Students will be able to access modules at their own pace and convenience.
While the instructive material is not interactive, students can practice the
methods in a hands-on setting using their tool kit.
O: Organizational issues
● Structure of teaching activities
Instructional materials will be organized to provide a successful implementation
of technology-based learning. There will be a minimal amount of organizational
change, if any. For example, each method of repair will be clearly labeled and
able to be accessed separately from the others.
● Instructional and technology services
Technology professionals will assist the instructor in developing the course site
to be accessible and simple for the students.
● Support for media and technology
Students will have access to technology and media support throughout the
course. The student may reach out to the instructor, who might, in turn, reach
out to technology professionals as needed.
N: Networking
Students should not need to network beyond the course. However, if students are
interested in more advanced repair techniques, they may be interested in
contacting subject specialists, professionals in the fields, or relevant people in
the community.
S: Security and privacy
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Students will need a private place to work online. The course will be contained in
a strictly controlled environment, enabling privacy and security management
more effectively. Password-protected access will be required for registered
students.

Course Map for Book Repair: Simple fixes to damaged children’s books

Course Description
This learning module covers how to make simple repairs to damaged children’s books
so that these treasures can continue to be read in the future. These lessons will give
students basic descriptions of techniques, images, and videos to repair their injured
books. Students will also learn preventative techniques to protect their books from
damage in the future.

Course-Level Objectives Topics Covered in the Course

1. Identify the parts of a book ▪ The parts of a book
(cover, spine, etc.) ▪ Determining if the damage is able to be
2. Determine if a children’s book can or repaired
cannot be fixed by analyzing its condition ▪ Cut or torn pages/jackets
3. Assess what tools will be needed for book ▪ Torn-out pages
repairs based on the damage to the item ▪ Loose or worn hinges
4. Make basic repairs to minor damages to ▪ Worn spine
children’s books ▪ Broken hinge or spine

Module Week Topics Module-Level Learning Learning Content Assessments/Deliverables

Covered Objectives (Readings, Lectures and (Assignments, Quizzes,
Supplemental Resources) Exams)
0 1 Introduction Inform the student of the 0.Instructional Materials Complete the Syllabus Quiz
learning objectives for the covering the policies and
course The students will be given: expectations for the course.
● A course syllabus
● A short informational Discussion post:
video on the Go to the discussion forum
instructor and the and write a short post (less
course than 100 words) about
yourself and why you are
taking this course. Feel free
to have conversations with
your peers!
1 2 The parts of Identify the parts of a book 1.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
a book (cover, spine, etc.) The parts of a book
2 3 Determining Determine if a children’s 2.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
if the book can or cannot be fixed Can it be fixed?
damage is by analyzing its condition
able to be Discussion post:
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repaired Go to the discussion forum

3 4 Cut or torn Assess what tools will be
pages needed for book repairs
based on the damage to the
item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
4 5 Torn-out Assess what tools will be
pages needed for book repairs
based on the damage to the
item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
5 6 Loose or Assess what tools will be
worn hinges needed for book repairs
based on the damage to the
item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
6 7 Worn spine Assess what tools will be
needed for book repairs
based on the damage to the
item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
7 8 Broken Assess what tools will be
hinges or needed for book repairs
spine based on the damage to the
item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
8 9 Torn-off Assess what tools will be
cover needed for book repairs
based on the damage to the
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
3.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use (Cut
or torn pages)?
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
4.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use
(Torn-out pages)?
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
5.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use
(Loose or worn hinges)?
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
6.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use
(Worn spine)?
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
7.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use
(Broken hinge or spine)?
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
8.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use
(Torn-off cover)?

item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
9 10 Book corners Assess what tools will be
and head needed for book repairs
caps based on the damage to the
item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
10 11 Wet pages Assess what tools will be
needed for book repairs
based on the damage to the
item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
11 12 Damage Use preventative
prevention techniques to prevent
damage from happening to
a children’s book
12 13 Testing your Identify the parts of a book
knowledge (cover, spine, etc.)
Determine if a children’s
book can or cannot be fixed
by analyzing its condition
Assess what tools will be
needed for book repairs
based on the damage to the
item
Make basic repairs to minor
damages to children’s
books
13
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
9.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use
(Book corners and head
caps)?
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
10.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use (Wet
pages)?
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
11.Instructional Materials Quiz (open-book):
What tools should I use
(Damage prevention)?
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post any questions or
comments you have about
this module.
12.Instructional Materials Final Test (open-book):
● Parts of a book
● Can it be fixed?
● What tools should I
use?
● Types of damage
● Repair methods
Assignment:
Post a video of yourself
repairing the provided book
in your tool kit
Discussion post:
Go to the discussion forum
and post a short post (less
than 100 words) about your
experience with the course
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and any final

questions/comments you
might have.