Keeping Books in Great Shape While Storing Them
If you plan on using a self storage unit to house your belongings, you will want to take proper precautions in how you pack your items so they stay in the best shape will in an enclosed space. If you have several books, there are a few methods you can use in ensuring their safety while storing them in your unit. Books can quickly deteriorate if conditions are too humid or if they are not placed in bins or on shelves correctly. Here are some book storage tips to consider.
Keep Conditions Dry
Moisture can contribute to softening of the paper books are made from. This in turn could lead to mold. When a storage unit is too humid, moisture is usually a result. To keep humidity levels down, make sure to close the door behind you when you visit the unit. Place several containers full of charcoal briquettes or cedar wood chips in your storage unit to help grab moisture from the air naturally. Swap these with new ones each time you visit.
Package Appropriately
Books will fare better in the open air than in a plastic enclosure. For this reason, stick with cardboard boxes over plastic storage tubs when storing books. These will allow air flow, keeping the pages in better condition as they will be less likely to get moldy from excessive humidity. Some plastic bins also emit emissions which could destroy a book collection over time. Pick several small boxes to house books. This allows you to pick them up and move them easily and they will be less likely to cause damage if a box falls on top of another item. Use new cardboard boxes if possible. These will be sturdier than pre-used boxes, allowing you to shift them around your unit without the box ripping.
Use Shelving
If you have the room in your unit, consider setting up shelving to house your books. A metal shelving unit would work better than a wooden shelf. Wood tends to emit vapor of acid which can cause the paper books are made from to wither away prematurely. When placing your books on the shelves, keep books of the same size together. If you place books randomly, larger ones will tend to bend as they will not have the support of a like-sized book next to them to keep them straight.
Start with the largest book on the left end of a shelf and work your way down in size to the other end. On the next shelf, start with the largest book on the right side of the shelf and work your way to the left decreasing in size. Alternating like this will help keep the shelving unit from tipping.
