ISO 14416:2003 is applicable to the binding of books, periodicals and archive documents which have special requirements for durability and permanence. The use, as well as the wear and tear, of library and archive documents varies. The choice of binding method should therefore relate to the appropriate requirements of a specific library or archive. The quality as well as the price of the binding is dependent on this choice.

It is applicable to the following general procedures:

• first-time hard-cover binding of published and unpublished materials, and any other documents requiring this type of protection;
• rebinding of hard-cover monographs, serials and any other documents.

It is not intended for binding volumes identified by a customer as having high artifactual or historical value, or for any volumes that, because of their physical characteristics, cannot or should not be bound according to ISO 14416:2003. Arrangements for special treatments should be made separately.