The ordinary jobs that come to the Davis Book Menders include wear-and-tear repairs, like fixing torn pages or tattered covers, but some damage is unusual — like the books that displayed tire treads or evidence of use as a trivet. Whatever the problem, the menders can fix it, says Karen McCluskey, a member of the group … with some exceptions, such as the book they bagged and discarded because it seemed like a biohazard.

The menders gather each Tuesday to work around a long table (see photo) inside the main Davis library, and on the first Tuesday of each month they host a book-repair cafe for anyone who wants to come in for help fixing their own books.

Publisher’s Weekly says U.S. sales of printed books totaled 782.7 million in 2024, up 4.4 million from 2023. Today on Davisville we talk with McCluskey about the work and the satisfaction of mending thousands of books each year.