How to Store Books

Whether you are a die hard bibliophile wanting to preserve your book collection, or just a book lover who needs to store some books, these simple steps will help keep your books in excellent condition when needing to be stored away.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• vacuum sealer or plastic food storage bags
• plastic storage container (like rubbermaid)
• rice
• moth balls
• tape or hot glue

1. First you need to package your books. This can be done either using a vacuum sealer if you have one, or by simply placing the books in Ziploc food storage bags. If you choose to use the storage bags, make sure you remove as much of the air as possible before sealing the bag.
2. Seal each book individually. If you are storing paperbacks and are worried about them getting bent, take cut pieces of hard cardboard and place them in the bag with the book, one on the top and one on the bottom.
3. Once you have sealed your books in their separate packages, start placing them into your plastic storage container. Place heavy, hardback books on the bottom, and work your way up to the smaller sizes.
4. As you are stacking your books in the container, sprinkle dried rice on the bottom of the container and around the book stacks. The dried rice will help absorb any moisture that may find its way into the container.
5. Place the lid on the container. Using either a hot glue gun, or heavy duty packing tape, seal the lid onto the container. This will help prevent moisture or bugs from getting into the container and damaging your books.

Tips & Warnings

• Make a list of the books you are storing in your container. Place the list in a ziplock bag and then tape it to the top of the container so that you can see which books are enclosed.
• Do not pack your container too heavy or you may have problems lifting it. Make sure it is light enough for you to easily move.