Leather Bound Books
The ideal temperature for books is below room temperature with a low relative humidity (RH) of 35%. As with any object, a clean, stable housing environment is preferred to ensure better preservation. Low light is best.
Leather absorbs moisture and does better at a RH between 45% and 60%. If the RH is much lower than 45%, the leather can begin to crack. At RH levels higher than 70%, biodegeneration and mold become more likely to occur.
If books are kept at to too high of a RH, the pages of the books will begin to warp. If the RH is too low, the leather binding and cover will crack and peel. Thus, storage of leather bound books needs to strike a balance between the ideal for books and the ideal for leather.
Books, leather bound or otherwise, should always be stored with a flat spine, either upright, as the examples on this page show, or lying flat.
Used with permission from Cullen and Emery © 2014
An example of leather bound books with cracked and peeling spines. The most likely cause of this damage is storage at some point in an environment with too low RH. Three methods of labeling can be identified in this image.
Used with permission from Cullen and Emery © 2014
Labeling Leather Bound Books
Best pratices for labeling leather bound books are to create a "flag" with the book's label information on it. Both images on this page demonstrate this method. The lower images also have examples of older methods of labeling: writing on the spine and applying stickers. Both of these forms of labeling permanently mark or damage the leather. As one can see on the far left of the image, these methods might not even permanently identify the item.
If physical labeling of the book is required, write the label information on the inside cover of the book in pencil.