As time goes by, ancient books suffer wear and tear and in the worst situations are damaged by worms or gnawed by rats. But what can be done to save such valuable books?

A workshop on restoring books was held at Nantong Library on Aug 23, offering locals the chance to learn about the intricate and sophisticated techniques involved.

There are three stages to restoration — separating, repairing and rebinding the book.

However, experts add that the process of repairing a book involves more than 10 steps.

During the activity, book restorers at the library demonstrated the methods in detail. Visitors also tried their hand at binding books and transposing inscriptions from stones and other artifacts onto paper using ink.

A restorer at Nantong Library shows how to conduct repairs, on Aug 23. [Photo/ntfabu.com]