How a library repair day convinced me to stop using PVA for everything

I went to a shared workspace event last fall where they let volunteers help fix old books for a local library in Austin. About two hours in, a retired conservator watched me glue a loose spine with PVA and said, "You are sealing its fate." She showed me how the paper had turned brittle from someone's earlier PVA repair, maybe 20 years back. I always thought PVA was safe and strong. She explained that for aged paper, a reversible paste or methylcellulose gives future binders a chance to fix mistakes. I spent the rest of the day redoing four books with a wheat paste mix she brought. Now I only reach for PVA on new boards or cloth, never on old text blocks. Has anyone else switched to reversible adhesives for restoration work, or do you still trust PVA on vintage books?

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