Having a lot of books is something you can really be proud of. Now, you don’t really need us to tell you that, we know, but still. It is good to point out just how rare it is for people these days to actually need to store books. A guide on how to pack and store your book collection is, therefore, a guide with a pretty small target audience. And yet, here you are! That means that you are one of those rare minds who still enjoy reading from the pages of the world’s oldest remaining method of transferring knowledge and stories, other than narratively, of course.
However, books being a physical medium rather than a digital one does have one downside. They are prone to decay, and of course, they do take up physical space. That means that you actually need to know what to do with them when you are relocating or downsizing. Here are some of our tips!
Pack and store your book collection in proper storage
First and foremost, before anything else, we need to talk about Louisiana storage facilities that you can choose from. Not all storage units are made the same. While types of storage might seem rather indistinguishable, they are not. Furthermore, while they also might appear to not be much to actually differ, except maybe size and structural integrity, that is also not the case. And, finally, it very much matters which type of storage you pick, especially when it comes to books. Let us explain.
The most obvious way to differentiate between storage types is by their location. When you go about that classification, you will find that there are generally two types of storage. Eather outside ones, or indoor ones. The outdoors, or outside ones, are the ones that are pretty much parking spaces with garages of various sizes.
They are great for easy accessibility by care but are usually pretty bare-bones. That does not mean, in any case, that the storage units themselves are badly made. Most often than not they are satisfactory, however, they can lack some other features that are pretty important when storing anything in paper form, books included.
The other type is, obviously, indoor storage, the one that offers the use of storage units that are stored inside a building. They are well protected from the elements, and more often have additional services provided.
Three types summarised
What would those services be? Well, storages are not simply empty space. Since some items that can be stored can be very susceptible to moisture, mold, and, of course, pests, you can opt for climate-controlled storage. These are the best ones for book stores.
So, to summarise:
- Inside – Have better all-weather access, but no vehicle.
- Outside – Easy vehicle access, but rarely climate controlled.
- Climate Controlled – When you aim to pack and store your book collection, these are a must.
Get packing
Now, it’s time to talk packing In order to make sure that your books are packed safely and soundly in the Zippy Shell Louisiana storage, you will need to get good packing material. Books are relatively simple in their demands when it comes to packing material.
After all, all you need is a cardboard box and you are pretty much good to go! Some cushioning material is advised as well, and do make sure that the box is actually sturdy. Books are not light and can take their toll on the boxes. Also, if you are moving your book collection on a bumpy road, cushioning is a must. Books can be damaged by outside pressures.
How to pack books
In order to pack them safely for transport or long term storage, however, you will need more than packing supplies, you will also need the know-how to properly utilize them. That means that you need to get a crash course on properly packing.
Books are very well shaped for packing, so it’s like the very simple game of Tetris. Always put heavier and bigger books on the bottom of the box. Furthermore, store the heavier boxes under the lighter ones. That way you are making stable stacks for your big book collection.
Regular maintenance
You can’t just pack and store your book collection with New Orleans movers and forget about them. Book requires a lot of attention: Paper is not a very durable material when it is not stored properly, so make sure that you regularly check the moisture and heat in the room or storage space that you are storing your collection in. If you don’t, you will find that there is more than dust on the pages. Bugs and other pests can eat the paper, mold can ruin your favorite novels. We will agree that even the books of Lovecraft, who sport that style, will do better without hazardous molds growing among their pages.
Storing in house
Finally, you don’t necessarily have to turn to storage in order to pack and store your book collection. You can also utilize the spaces you have to store that old book you learned how to repair a book for all that collection of fantasy series novels that take up so much space.
If your shelves are overloaded, think about spaces under the stars, attics, basements, tops of wardrobes, and under beds as alternative locations.
Do get some help
This has been all that you will need in order to store all of your lovely books! Hopely, now you are armed with the knowledge to pack and store your book collection. Do remember that books are not easy to lift and that you will definitely need to put some back into them. One or two are light, sure, but having boxes filled with thousands of words can present a real challenge. Therefore, as the conclusion to this article, we will remind you that you should ask for help when the moving day arrives. Best of luck!
