by Rebecca · Last updated Aug 6, 2026
Most of what lands on my repair cart isn't complicated — a torn cover, a page pulling loose, a spine giving up halfway through the year. What surprised me as a new librarian was how few supplies it actually takes to handle almost all of it, and how much difference the right ones make compared to whatever's in the supply closet. These are the three I reach for constantly.
Contains Amazon affiliate links.
If you only buy one thing from this list, make it book tape. When I first started as a school librarian I was repairing torn covers, loose pages, and hanging spines with shipping tape, and I had no idea how much of a difference real book tape makes — it's stickier and far more durable. I use it almost every day, and a 30-yard roll of the 2" width goes a long way.
One bottle of this will likely last you a few years. It's acid-free and neutral pH, which matters when you're repairing books you want back in circulation rather than falling apart again next semester. Brush it along the edge of a loose page with a cheap paint brush, a wooden stick, or even a folded paper towel.
This last item is a bit pricier than the others on this list, but I'm telling you it's worth it. It's a dupe of what the library suppliers sell, and it takes only a few minutes to turn a book that's in pieces into something that looks almost new. It keeps students' favorite titles on the shelf instead of in the discard pile, which matters most in February when the budget is gone and replacing a book isn't an option.
None of this needs a workroom or a repair budget — a drawer and twenty minutes between classes covers most of it. One gap worth naming: I'd put hinge repair tape on this list too, but I haven't found one on Amazon I actually like yet, so it isn't here. If that changes, I'll add it. Looking for more finds like this? Browse the rest of the Library & Education guides.
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