How to pack and store a book collection

Every serious book-lover needs to know how to pack and store a book collection. Fortunately for you, we’ve decided to share our guide with you! We encourage learning and proper storage, above all. We would urge you to read what we have to say so you don’t damage your books. No longer will you transport books haphazardly. Now, it’s time to learn the proper way to do it and remember to stick by it. As one of the leading providers of moving and storage Columbus Ohio, we have created the ultimate guide to preserving your books. Let’s go into it!

Inspect your books for dust and mites before you pack and store a book collection

Before you pack and store a book collection, you must assess its condition first. Even though searching for the perfect storage units Lewis Center Ohio can be tempting, we urge you to shift your focus at the beginning. Finding storage will go along smoothly, don’t worry. Check your books for big amounts of dust, or some kind of pest. Your collection surely means a lot to you and holds a special place in your heart. This means you mustn’t do what’s easiest! Instead, inspect each book carefully. Once you place your library in storage, you might not access it for a while.

You can use a soft paintbrush to dust off the books. Remember to check the cover, the back, and the first pages from each side. These are the places where dust can easily get stuck, or you might locate some insect eggs. When searching for pests, look for tiny black dots, similar to seeds. These are insect eggs. Even though they aren’t hatched, you should still remove them carefully. The best way to go about this is by gently wiping down the pages with a soft cloth. The eggs or larvae will stick to the cloth and the cloth won’t damage the books. It’s a win-win!

Let your books breathe a bit – literally!

To pack and store a book collection properly, you should leave some time aside for airing out the books. Apart from dust and pests, the next worst thing that can attack your books is mold. Obviously, mold can’t form out of nowhere. To check if your books are prone to molding, just do a smell test. If the book smells damp, that’s your sign to put it somewhere where it can air out completely. Or, you might have spilled something on your precious book! Don’t worry, just make sure to lay it out for airing immediately.

If you come across books that are pretty moldy and hold a lot of smell, they shouldn’t go into storage units Columbus Ohio 43228. Unfortunately, it might be too late for these books. Don’t despair too much, though. This is an excellent learning opportunity. Your books need to be kept in the ideal humidity and temperature, as well as low light in some cases. This is exactly the reason why you need to search for climate-controlled storage units.

Let’s wrap up the books

Now it’s time to dive into covering and protecting your books for storage. We must stress that when preparing a library for a move, you will need to invest in materials. You mustn’t risk damaging your books by using plastic bags or newspapers. Newspaper is acidic and can damage the cover and pages. Plastic bags don’t leave any room for air circulation, they keep the moisture inside and threaten the safety of your books.

The main material that will protect your books is none other than archive paper. This type of paper isn’t acidic and therefore will not damage your books. Bubble wrap is a good alternative, but we wouldn’t necessarily recommend it. Some book-lovers have reported that bubble wrap has damaged the covers of their books. This is either due to poor temperature control or due to a very tight wrapping. If you aren’t confident in wrapping up your own books you’ll be happy to know there are many packing services Ohio that specialize in packing home libraries. Not everyone can do everything, and that’s okay. The point of hiring professionals is that you will know your books are 100% safe.

Good quality containers are necessary when you want to pack and store a book collection safely

Cardboard moving boxes and the likes aren’t used often. They are too soft and fragile to water to help with protecting your books. If these boxes were dropped or moved in a truck, there’s a high likelihood they will open. Just for moving though, without the storage, if you put as many books as possible in the cardboard box and unbox them right after your move, you’ll be more than safe. Getting the right containers pertains to storing your book collection.

Archival boxes or secure storage totes are the storage containers you’re searching for. These will be optimal for long-term storage if that’s what you’re planning with your books. If you’re storing your books for an indefinite time, trust us and buy these containers. Temporary storage can very easily become permanent storage. And, instead of having to change everything in your storage unit, do it correctly the first time and buy archival boxes. Always check one last time if your books and your containers are completely dry! Just a tiny bit of water can create a ton of problems.

Organize your library for storage

When you pack and store a book collection, it’s important to organize it properly. There are endless options you can choose from. Perhaps you’d enjoy arranging your library according to the publishing date, or alphabetically. Maybe you’d store your favorites separately. Whatever your wishes may be, you should pack your books tightly into the container, but not too tightly. Just leave enough air so that you’re not squishing the books once you close the lid. Good luck, now you know what to do!