How to Preserve Books

Do you love the smell of the pages of an old book? Do you treasure the craftsmanship of a good binding? With proper handling and storage, you can preserve your most precious books for generations to come.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Acid-free Boxes
• Feather Dusters

1. Shelve books in their individual dust jackets to keep dust and grime away. Place them upright on the shelves to help maintain their shape.

2. Store books by packing them snugly, either upright (preferred) or flat, in a small custom-made archival box made of high-quality, acid-free, alkaline-buffered materials. These boxes can be purchased online or at craft stores.

3. Keep all books in a cool area, away from high humidity, which encourages mold growth and invites insects. A cool, air-conditioned space, free of sunlight and ultraviolet sources, works best.

4. Handle books with care. Read with clean hands, and support the covers when propping books open. Do not lay books flat on a surface - try bookmarks instead.

5. Clean books occasionally by holding them closed and gently dusting the tops and edges with a feather duster.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have leather-bound books, keep them away from low-humidity conditions as well as high humidity, to keep the leather from drying out and cracking.
• Consider taking damaged books to a professional book binder for restoration.

on 11/22/2005 Sterlite company makes a 15 quart box that will hold two shelf feet of paperback books.

on 11/22/2005 My mother's bound book got damp. I was very upset. I inverted a V-shaped picture stand, propping it up in a bowl. I put the book in the V. Then I used a cool hair dryer to dry it out. I used stiff boards and rubber bands to hold the binding from curling.

on 11/22/2005 You can't save the books that have been printed on acidic, poor-quality paper. You can prolong their lives by taking good care of them and keeping them in a stable environment, but I just use them as much as I need to and can before they self-destruct.

on 11/22/2005 Loaning out your literary treasures is a great idea, but not for these precious books. Keep your valued books at home and share them with friends and family there!

on 11/22/2005 Try to keep books in a place where the temperature stays consistent. Changing temperatures can cause your books to warp.