Storing your book collection: 3 crucial tips
UncategorizedAugust 16, 2020
Are you moving in the recent future, but you’re not sure how to store your precious books? Have you already tried to store them, but failed dismally, only to find your books scratched, damaged, and with the cover that has fallen off? Zippy Shell Moving and Storage DMV has knowledge on the matter, and we’re more than happy to share it! We’ve prepared tips and tricks to keep your precious books in the best condition possible! Storing your book collection intelligently keeps it safe from the moisture and mechanical damage. We all want our books to last as long as they possibly can, and to achieve longevity you have to commit to proper storing options. To find out how to fight the decaying process and store your books so that they last for a long, long time, keep on reading!
Why should you pay special attention to the way you store your books?
Paying attention to how you store your books is a must – there are many variables that can affect them. Some of them are temperature changes, light, and moisture. Paper, which makes up most of the books, is made out of cellulose. It’s very sensitive and its structure can be broken down by numerous factors. Moisture is the enemy of books, and it is most often the source of its damage. Do you remember spilling a coffee and the state of your book afterward? That should give you enough information to go on. Many people store books in classic cardboard boxes. That’s a bad choice since the moisture can come in easily. Storing books in the cardboard boxes will first affect the box, destroy it, and then be able to reach the books easily. Turning to other kinds of boxes should solve that problem.
Find an appropriate place for storing your book collection
Keeping books on shelves is popular for a reason. First and foremost, they are a space where you are keeping books upright. Books should never be tilted because it may cause their covers to deform and furthermore to fall off. When books are placed next to one another, they can’t tilt, and that’s what we’re aiming for. When placing a shelf, avoid doing it near the corners and walls that have mold or tendency to get wet. Also, books love constant temperatures, and keeping them away from the temperature fluctuations is one of the things that will help them last the most. When they are constantly exposed to the temperature changes, it causes a structural change in the paper and it may become susceptible to breakage. If you’re considering placing the books in storage – storage units Alexandria VA might extend their life!
Storing your book collection in plastic bins
Storing your book collection is a task that requires planning and meticulous organization. When you want to use your books again – you should be able to find them fast, but also keep them safe from the outside elements. One of the easiest ways to organize your books well, but at the same time to protect them, is to store the books in the boxes or bins. Choosing the right bin can be a tiresome job. One of the most durable kinds of packing bins is plastic ones. They aren’t eco friendly as cardboard ones, but they are much more efficient when it comes to book preserving. When you get plastic boxes or bins, you can easily label them, stack them onto one another and they don’t let moisture in nor do they get affected by it.
Watch out for the sunrays!
When storing your books, light is another variable that you should keep your eye on. If there’s a place on your shelf that’s often exposed to the sunlight, you might want to redecorate that part of the shelf. When you place an item in the direct contact with the sunlight, it will cause the item to experience the color loss. It’s the same with a book, if you leave a book exposed to the sunlight, the covers will fade. The sun also affects the temperature of the books, which will furthermore cause structural damages and faster decay. That’s why you should find new ways to decorate the part of the shelf that’s in contact with the sunlight or to consider replacing your shelf.
Simple hacks that you can apply when storing your book collection:
- Get book covers
- Consider storing your book collection in the plastic bins
- Keep the dust jackets on
Consider keeping them in storage spaces
You must have seen people keep their books in attics, balconies, or garages – you may even have been one of them. Storage units Arlington VA can help you store your books in controlled conditions that they require. When you keep a book at the attics and garages, they are easily exposed to moisture, temperature changes, to the weather elements and conditions, and they, most likely, aren’t packed well. Storage units are controlled, so you don’t have to worry about temperature and keeping it constant. We know that storage isn’t a space that’s as close as attics or basements, so having your book at the arm’s length won’t be possible. Storing your book collection in a proper way doesn’t have to be complicated. Turn to us for a simple, yet effective book storage solution!