You have the choice among e-book, audiobook, paperback, and hardcover formats when you’re buying a new book today. Each has its pros and cons, but if you like to have a physical copy in your hands and it needs to withstand some wear and tear, hardcover is a good choice. Most libraries choose hardcover copies for this reason. Buckram, a type of coarse linen stiffened with paste, is part of what makes hardcover books so sturdy. The material has been used in bookbinding for centuries, and when a book is bound with buckram, it can survive in library circulation for 50 to 100 years, according to the Library of Congress. The word comes from the Old French “boquerant,” meaning “fine cloth,” and it came into Middle English meaning the same.