Eliminate single page preceding spread

[Typothalamus]

This book design begins each chapter with a 2-page spread, and never the last page of the preceding chapter occupying the left side. All the chapters are separate files, and each has a vestigal page 1, a single page before the actual opening spread. I did not know at the time, or now, how to have the document set up otherwise, though I tried (deleting the blank page 1, my spread would be then be split up, ruined for working on/considering  the spread as a whole, with the left page then becoming placed as page 1, a right page, and then the right page of the spread moving over to the left,  as a separate page).

The book is now done, 47 chapters, and whenever assembling using the book function, all those empty page 1 blanks need to be deleted in the pdf. Again time consuming, doing it whether as a pdf or otherwise. How can this be done initially in ID, and now, when it must be outputted without the blank at the start of every chapter?

Appreciative of assistance.

[Peter Spier · Accepted solution]

Simplest way might be to go into section and numbering options from the pages panel and set the first page to start with an even number.

[Dave Creamer of IDEAS]

You can set your Book options menu to:

You can also protect your spread by selecting the pages and deselecting this Pages panel menu option (you will see brackets around the spread):