Collage dilemma

[sinsoftheflesh.livejournal.com]

For christmas i bought my mother and stepdad sketchbooks made of this beautiful recycled paper, and I wanted to collage them a bit to personalize them. I'm going to cover them in handmade paper first (it matches the recycled paper inside PERFECTLY), but my dilemma is that i love the way the handmade paper feels! If i were to just glue the paper down on one side and not cover it with anything on the outside surface, do you think this would hold up, or would the paper get tattered fairly quickly?

Also, if i were to cover the outside with something, can anyone suggest a sealant of some kind that won't leave a tacky finish? In my experiences with both mod podge and acrylic matte medium, the surface always had some degree of tackiness which i would definitely like to avoid. Or, how could i minimize the tackiness caused by these products?

Thanks! :D