It occurred to me as I was looking over my book shelves with a tempting edge of lazy procrastination (I’m still cataloging my books for insurance purposes) that many book aficionados have no idea how to store their prizes properly. Many buy books to merely read them. Others read and collect. I am a proud member of the later group. I read and collect books. I am a dedicated home library builder. This deep affection is accompanied by a few preservative responsibilities.
Store Your Books Properly!
First of all, you should never store books in a basement. This would seem obvious to many, but there are more than a few oblivious individuals who are - at this very moment - exposing their books to a mildew and mold inducing moisture. Not good! Also, don’t haul your books all the way up to the attic either! Most attics are excessively arid, hot and still (as in no air movement). The attic is the basement’s extreme - but equally detrimental - opposite. Both are very bad environments for your books.
Your book collection will find its environmental utopia in a darkened room with a stable thermostat set to 16ºC - 18ºC, with a relative humidity of around 50-60%. Sunlight is a natural enemy of books, and even a small amount will fade and warp a book over time. Cover any windows with heavy curtains. The room should be dry, but not excessively arid like the attic. A total lack of moisture is as detrimental as an excessive amount of moisture. Paper and book binding deteriorate under either extreme. So, a commercial humidifier might be a wise option for those preserving special or expensive collections.
Books should be shelved in an upright position (vertically). Larger books, however, should be stored on their sides (horizontally) to a prevent page/binding separation which can occur as a result of the weight of the book itself. I purchased a row of deep shelves specifically for my larger books, which needed to be stacked on their sides. Also, be sure to leave a bit of space behind your shelved books, for air circulation.
Vertically stored books should be shelved tight enough to prevent leaning, which leads to warping. Do not shelve your books so tightly that you are forced to rip at the binding to retrieve a book from your unit. Books like to be comfortably shelved.
Visit Your Books Regularly!
Books are like plants. They love to be visited and talked to. They love to be dusted on occasion too. So, don’t merely collect and shelve your books. Read them daily, even if only for a few minutes or so. Grab an old book you’ve had on the shelf for a while and reintroduce yourself to the priceless wisdom it contains between its covers. Book are wonderful. They are a privilege. Do enjoy them! Store them properly so your children can enjoy too!
8 Comments
Hi
I’m moving and have to put my books in storage for 6 months. They are very dear to me and some are very old. The only option I have at this stage is to store them in boxes in someones garage - is there any precautions I can take to avoid damage? Should I bubble wrap them in the boxes?
Thanks,
Nina
I have a similar problem as Nina’s and need to store my books in boxes. What are the precautions to take to avoid damage?
Thanks,
Cheryl
@Nina & Cheryl: The best thing to do is NOT leave them in the boxes. Bubble wrapping them would only make matters worse too. Books need air. In fact, shelving them in a way that restricts air flow is actually harmful for a books longevity. The best thing to do is to get them out of boxes as soon as possible, especially if they are old.
Thank you for your prompt response to my problem of book storage. I neglected to mention that I have thousands of books (childrens). Would plastic containers work better? Or renting a storage space and placing them upright on shelves?
You could use boxes, so long as they won’t be in them for long, long periods of time. Otherwise, I’d find some place to store them on shelves, upright. Again, the more air that can freely circulate around the books, the longer they will last.
Thousands of books is quite an investment. I’d do everything I could to preserve them correctly.
Good luck, Cheryl!
Greetings! I am also in the same boat as Nina and Cheryl; however, I will be moving overseas for a year and my large collection will need to be stored in boxes as my current living space will no longer be mine. I am getting the understanding that, if need be cardboard boxes are the best boxing option to allow for airflow, is this correct? Also, what are your suggestions for packing style? Should I lay them stacked on their sides? or attempt to pack them as though they were on a shelf vertically? These books mean a lot to me, and while much of my collection is newer books, I have a small collection of rare and older books that are irreplaceable.
Thanks for any aid!
Great suggestions, but what if your only option is keeping your books in the basement? As far as basements go, it is finished and has a dehumidifer. There aren’t any funky basement smells either, but what extra precautions do you recommend if this is the only option?
Thanks
My sister stored hers in cardboard boxes and stored them for a few years. When she went to open them, she had silverfish. She ended up disposing of the books. My sil has some of my books in her storage shed and I wonder what I should do if she should ever get them back to me if they have silverfish as well. Can the insects be killed without ruining the books even further? Thanks for your help.