Saw a wild hinge idea at a small library in Ohio, now my covers swing open flat

Last month I stopped into this tiny used book library outside Columbus and noticed a beat-up reference book that had these little cloth tape hinges on the inside spine, letting the covers lay completely flat without cracking the binding. The librarian said a retired bookbinder did it 20 years ago and it still held up, so I grabbed a copy of a thick cookbook from my shelf and tried the same thing with some book cloth and PVA glue. It took about 35 minutes per cover, but now that old book opens like a dream and I can actually read the recipes without holding it down. I used a small brush to get the glue thin so it wouldn't bulge, and I let it dry overnight under a stack of heavy plates. Has anyone else tried reinforcing hinges on older books that are too fragile for full rebinding? I'm curious if people prefer tape or thread for this kind of fix.

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