Glossary: Binding

A binding is a hard cover on a book. It can also be a verb: we bind books, have them bound, and send them out for binding.

Sometimes when we search TOPCAT we see that an item is located at the bindery. This means it's been sent out of the building for binding. In other words, it's getting a hard cover put on it.

Library books are too fragile if they're paperbacks, so libraries often send them for binding. This happens regularly for serials, which arrive in individual issues that need to be bound together for strength. Sometimes new books are sent directly to the bindery before they go on the stacks, and sometimes they wait it's needed. Occasionally an older book needs to have its binding replaced.