Book Lovers: 4 Critical Tips on Storing Your Books Safely

There comes a time in every book lover's life when they have to put their books in storage. If your collection has become too unwieldy to fit in your home, if you've decided to move abroad for a few months, if you are in between homes or if you have to store your books for any other reason, keep reading. Here are four tips to make the most of your book storage.

1. Declutter your collection

You will be paying to store your books, and there's no reason to waste money on storing books that you do not truly need or want. Before moving your books to storage, pare them down and get rid of a few. You can give books away, sell them, or donate them. Keep books you love, plan to reread or want to have on hand to share with friends. Also, keep sentimental tomes and ones that simply look cool on your shelves.

2. Look for secure storage

You've spent years amassing your collection, and it deserves to be protected. Look for a storage facility that can assure that your books are safe. Consider the facility's location, whether or not it has guards on site, how often it's monitored and its reputation.

3. Package your books to thwart moisture and damage

Once you have found a safe facility, find a weather-controlled storage locker and begin to prepare your books for storage. In order to ensure your books do not become wet or otherwise damaged while in storage, you need to clean and package them carefully.

Use a vacuum or a feather duster to remove dust from the edges of books. If left on the books while in storage, the dust can spread to other books and create an unwanted layer of grime on your books.

Remove pressed flowers, cards and paper bookmarks from inside of books. These acidic objects can start to wear down the pages of books over time. Also, remove any paper clips or other metals that may rust. Finally, pack books in waterproof plastic storage containers with tight lids.

4. Keep boxes off the floor

When arranging your boxes of books in the storage locker, try not to place the blocks directly on the floor. This position prevents moisture on the floor from getting to the books. If storing furniture in the facility, place your boxes on your tables or shelves. If only storing books, bring pallets to place the boxes on top of.

For more tips and suggestions, contact local resources such as Eastlakes Self Storage.

 


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