Cartonera books

Cartonera books

Last content review: 2026-07-31

Cartonera books are a type of small press book. They generally have photocopied pages and covers made of scrap cardboard, often painted or decorated by hand.

Two cartonera books. One has a colorful hand-painted cover. The other is open to show packing tape still stuck to the inside of the corrugated cardboard cover.

 

Cataloging

Include the form heading “Cartonera books”, otherwise catalog as usual.

Example

655 #7 $a Cartonera books. $2 lcgft

Processing

Place the book in a sling and envelope. See the tutorial video for details (requires Yale login).

If the book does not fit in any of our standard slings/envelopes, send to Preventive Conservation.