Trace

Trace is nice.... but sometimes if it easier using the image as template and simply rebuilding it as vector graphic. 

I do this all the time with the characters I design.  Some I draw out in my notebook, then I quickly take a pic with my cell and then place them in Illustrator and simply turn them into a template.  Then in a new layer I start building the character as a vector graphic.

Or if it is a book... you can use the Adobe Apps to capture it as vector graphic as well and then simply import it into your library.  But the cleaner way is to simply recreate it from scratch.

Cheers!

Steve,

a black and white line drawing from an old book

Just to make sure, I hope the book is old enough for the drawing to be beyond copyright issues.

From your description I'm not sure what you're stuck on, but it should be easy to trace the black and white artwork in your book.

Place the art on the Illustrator artboard.

Select the art and click on Image Trace.

Choose Black and White Logo from the list.

If the lines need adjusting, open the Image Trace panel and use the sliders.

When satisfied, click Expand.

Once you click Expand, the image will be converted to smooth vector objects. All of the objects will be filled shapes, and they will be grouped.

It is often not easy to make changes to the resulting vector art (other than coloring it or resizing it), so make as many adjustments as you need while using the Image Trace panel, before you Expand.

When you expand the image trace it becomes editable Illustrator vector art. It is only before expanding that it is uneditable. You can possibly understand this better if after you do the image trace and before you expand you go into the artwork mode [Command (Mac)/Control (PC)-Y]. You will see nothing there! Then after you do the expand when you go into the artwork mode you will see the complete lifework for your drawing which is now completely editable.