BORDER book worms will be able to have their beloved books repaired free of charge on the Border from August.
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Repair Cafe Albury-Wodonga will expand its monthly services to include book repairs at Gateway Island in Wodonga from August 6.
Border school librarian Lynne Keys, who has been repairing books since she was a child, said it was important to extend the life of popular or irreplaceable books.
Having worked in school libraries for 30 years, Ms Keys wanted to offer her repair skills to the wider community.
“So many of us have books that we really value but are falling apart due to over-use or old age,” she said.
“With the help of glue, tape and thread, we can pull together those cracked spines and loose pages and keep those precious cookbooks or music scores in use.”
Ms Keys found a new tool for book repairs at Albury High School – the electric drill.
“You simply drill holes through the whole book near the spine and then stitch loose pages in with linen thread,” she said.
The Rotary Club of Wodonga West will provide funding for the repair cafe’s linen thread and other specialist book repair materials.
Having been a volunteer repairer at the cafe over several months, Mrs Keys said today people lived in a disposable world.
“Far too often, we toss something out rather than care for it,” she said.
“Repair cafes bring together the people who have the practical knowledge to keep things in use for longer, and people who want to prolong the life of items, but don’t feel confident to repair it without help.
“I love the way people connect, exchanging ideas and stories over a cup of coffee.
“There is a lovely vibe; I enjoy the sense that I am helping people and the environment.”
Repair Cafe Albury-Wodonga is a free, community-run service to help people fix their bicycles, furniture, clothing, textiles and battery-operated appliances, as well as sharpen garden tools.
Co-ordinator Lizette Salmon said 12 experienced volunteer repairers were on-hand each session.
“They successfully repair 80 per cent of broken items,” she said.
The repair cafe opens on the first Saturday of the month from 10am until 1pm at the Sustainable Activity Centre, next to La Maison Cafe.