5 guidelines for storing books and documents

If the number of books and documents that you own exceeded the amount of space that you have in your home, maybe it is time to store them somewhere else. However, you cannot just chuck them in the basement and forget about them. If that is what you have planned, you can throw them in the garbage straight away because they will not last long in such an environment. Storing books and documents requires special care and a suitable setting. Spyder moving services advise you to properly prepare your books and documents, pack them wisely and store them in suitable surroundings. If you never prepared paper items for storage, read the following article and learn how to do it.

First, you need to make a selection of books and documents that you want to store

Everyone likes to have a rich home library but sometimes it is not possible to keep every book that you purchased in your home.  Therefore, before you call your movers in Collierville TN to take your books to the storage, you have to make a selection that you will store. This will certainly be the most difficult part of the process. If not physically then mentally. Of course, only you know which books and documents you can say goodbye to. If you have trouble, in the section below you can find some suggestions.

Books that you should remove from your home

• When you decide for storing books and documents, start by removing old magazines.
• Old guide books were an essential part of every home in the 20^th century. With the development of the internet, they have lost their purpose.
• Cookbooks whose recipes you have learned and mastered.
• Old college books are maybe a nice memory but now they are only taking up your precious space.
• Books that you own for a long time and you haven’t opened once. And you do not plan to do it in the future. Those are usually books that you received as a present from someone who doesn’t really know you.
• Remove the books that you simply do not like.

Of course, those are just books to start with. For a deeper purge you will have to decide on your own.

When storing books and documents, first you need to clean them

After you make a selection, you will have to start preparing your books for storage. You cannot just throw your books in a box and hope that they will stay in good shape. When storing books and documents, you need to make sure that they are clean and dry before you can pack them. First, start with cleaning. Books can accumulate a lot of dust, dirt, and mold. Especially on their surfaces. Use a gentle brush to remove it. But do it outdoors.

Mold is especially dangerous, and you should be careful when dealing with it. If you do not want to give them to a professional conservator, make sure that you put a face mask before you start brushing. Inhaling mold spores is dangerous and carries many health risks.  If you have books that are damp, you should let them dry in a well-ventilated room.

Also, pay attention to insect eggs. Those are the biggest threat to your books. They can be hidden between the pages and in the gutters. So make sure that you brush them away.

Preparing packing materials for storing books and documents

Once you have cleaned and dried your books and documents you should prepare suitable packing materials. If you invested lots of time to prepare your precious books for storage, you shouldn’t waste all that effort by packing them in inappropriate containers. Call moving company Germantown TN and you can get quality packing materials from them.

For packing books, you can use cardboard boxes. But it is important that they are sturdy enough and that they can be closed properly. If you decide to use old boxes, make sure that they are dry and undamaged. Also do not use boxes in which you previously stored food. The scent of food can attract insects that can easily mistake your books with food.

Packing your books and documents for storage

If you have never packed books and documents you should know that there are some rules. And if you have lots of them to pack it will be a physically demanding job. Luckily you can leave this part to professionals. If you hire professional packing and unpacking services, you can be sure that your precious books will be packed properly and securely. If you decide to do it on your own, here are some guidelines:

• Small and medium-sized books and documents you can pack upright or lying flat.
• If you pack books upright, make sure that they are not leaning.
• Heavy and large books you should always pack lying flat.
• When you pack heavy books on top of each other, arrange them in a way so that the fore-edges and spines alternate.
• If you pack large and small books in the same box, place larger ones on the bottom and smaller on top of them.
• Do not store books so they rest on their spine or the fore-edge. This can damage bindings, especially after longer periods.
• Do not overpack your boxes; leave some space so that the air can circulate.
• Better use several smaller boxes than one large box. Books are heavy and they can easily damage the cardboard box. And it will be hard to lift if they are all in one place.

Find a suitable storage space

No one likes to pay for a storage unit. But sometimes it is a necessary ordeal. Especially if you have a basement or an attic in your home that you can use for this purpose. However, storing books and documents in a wet basement or a dusty attic is not the best solution. In other words, you need to find a place that is dry, has a stable environment without temperature oscillations, and has no problems with insects. Even if you find a suitable storage space, do not place your boxes directly on the floor and against the walls. And that is it if you cleaned and packed them properly and stored them in a suitable space, your books and documents should be safe for a long time.