Long Term Book Storage

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Long Term Book Storage

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1Vic33
Avr 2, 2009, 10:31 pm

I know this is sacrilegious to even suggest this but I have to store a lot of books for a long time, maybe several years. What's the best/safest way? I currently have a lot of them in cardboard moving boxes stored in my basement. Don't worry its verty dry down there. I was thinking about moving them to plastic boxes but I think I read somewhere that if you store books in plastic you need to add some dessicant to the box. Any suggestions?

2staffordcastle
Avr 3, 2009, 12:30 am

If the boxes are on a concrete floor, you should raise them up off it a bit, like on pallets or something similar. Water seeps through concrete and can be absorbed by the boxes.

3maggie1944
Avr 3, 2009, 11:34 am

I actually want to jump on this wagon. I also need to get ready to store a lot of books for, well, maybe months if not years. So, at this point I think I have heard from LT folks the following pointers: 1. pack in small boxes so that they are not too heavy to move, 2. do not put cardboard boxes with books directly onto concrete flooring as the box and books will suck moisture out of concrete, 3. label boxes very well, as in complete information, on all four sides so label can be read no matter who stacks them in which way (maybe that should read all six sides).

Is the idea of putting books in plastic and adding dessicant correct?

Help.

4staffordcastle
Avr 3, 2009, 11:58 am

I would also advise (from sad experience) not using boxes that have those handy hand holes in them - it makes it far too easy for rats to get into the boxes :-(

5maggie1944
Avr 3, 2009, 2:37 pm

ah, excellent suggestion!

6Osbaldistone
Modifié : Avr 3, 2009, 3:19 pm

Before I put in my 2-cents worth, you may need to know about this Group on LT - Book Care and Repair

Okay - I'm no expert, but I've read a lot about, and experienced some of, the problems associated with what you are planning. I am an avid reader AND collector (activities which are not very compatible, actually); I have about 2,500 volumes (mostly hardcover, many leather), and have had to store them in boxes for about three months during a move. Many of the concerns with storage are actually concerns you should have with books on the shelf - just made more difficult because you can't monitor them as easily when boxed and stored. Anyway, based on my experience and research, here's what I have to offer:

re: cardboard boxes
Assuming a generally vermin free environment, my primary worry would be silverfish. They love dark places and the starch in the glue used in making books AND in making cardboard. They are perfectly content sitting quietly in the dark feeding on the books and the boxes. You won't know they're there unless you happen to disturb one or you find the damage. Once in your books, they are very hard to get rid of. Freezing the book is the best bet. Corrugated cardboard, which is likely what you would store the books in, offers the perfect place (in between the glued cardboard layers) for a silverfish to thrive for a long time without being detected. In fact, because corrugated cardboard is so attractive to silverfish, exterminators use small pieces of it laced with poison as bate to help eradicate them (speaking from unfortunate experience here).

I don't have a sure-fire solution. Plastic boxes tight enough to keep silverfish out could certainly cause moisture condensation problems, not to mention the chemical vapor given off by plastics over time. If I had to store books long-term in boxes, I'd combine the following:

1 - leave some space between the boxes and the floor and walls and between each row of boxes;

2 - if you can obtain them, place a bate/trap like I mentioned above in the bottom of the box, down each side, and on the top before closing the box;

3 - dust the area under the boxes with diatomacious earth before stacking the boxes. This is basically ground, microscopic skeletons of sea creatures (a fine powder) and is like a bed of razor blades to insects, but harmless to humans and pets, and most other animals (if used carefully). If I was sure this powder couldn't harm the books, I'd put a layer in the bottom of each box as well (but I'm not making a recommendation here).

4 - store them in a climate controlled area with good sanitation that will minimize the possibility of insects and vermin.

5 - visit them quarterly to be sure conditions remain satisfactory.

I dust the floor under my bookshelves in my home with diatomacious earth because the occasional silverfish has been spotted in our garage, bathroom, and, once, on the floor beneath the library shelves.

re: packing books
1 - Small boxes (books are heavy)

2 - Try to pack all books flat on their boards (top or bottom cover), not on spines or fore-edges. Second choice is standing as they would on your shelf, but well supported in this position.

3 - Try to make sure that the book will remain square (supported so they lie flat or stand perpindicular). Otherwise, after a long period, they may become 'cocked' and never stand straight on the shelf again. This is actually an issue with books on your shelf as well - if a tall or deep book is supported by a smaller book or bookend adjacent to it, the board (cover) may warp over time due to the lack of support. I've seen this happen in just a couple months to a quality bound hardback book. I try to make sure that the fore-edge (opposite the spine) and at least two-thirds of the height of a book is supported on the shelf by either the adjacent book or by a tall, straight, heavy bookend.

4 - If you really want them protected and are talking about really long-term, you may need to line the box with pH neutral (acid free) paper to prevent discoloration caused by the cheap paper in cardboard. For the same reason, check them as you pack them for any plastic or cheap paper bookmarks/placeholders.

The first three packing tips mean, basically, don't try to wedge as many books as you can into a box, but try to pack them tightly so they support each other. If you use paper to fill the voids, you may (again, long-term) be inviting problems related to paper that's not pH neutral (acid-free). Such paper can cause discoloration where it contacts the book.

All in all, if you're talking about really long-term storage, it's just hard to be sure your books will be in the same condition afterwards as they are now with the storage options and resources available to the average person.

More than you wanted to know, I'm sure.

Os.

7skittles
Avr 5, 2009, 7:52 pm

Os, never too much information... never... lots of information is better than not enough.... always!!

Thanks!!

8maggie1944
Avr 5, 2009, 8:04 pm

Agreed. Thank you very much.

9iftyzaidi
Mai 21, 2009, 3:45 am

Very useful tips. Thanks Os.

10johnnyapollo
Mai 21, 2009, 6:02 am

I place my stored books in short boxes made to hold magazines - they're sold by comic book supply companies - theyr'e very sturdy and covered in white - the box color can be used to help monitor the cardboard pH - as it turns yellow/brown you know it's time for replacement. They also stack very well up to about 5 or 6 boxes high. Since they have handholds cut into the ends, I place a single cardboard comic book backer board on each end - it helps keep out unwanted dust, etc and prevents the books on the ends from becoming discolored by the lighting (I've found florescents to be very bleaching on leather, cloth and paper). I've tried corregated plastic boxes but in my experience they don't stack well - becoming distorted by the weight (ideally each box would be supported by a single shelf). I also wrap very expensive books in a single layer of lightweight mylar (melinix or similar brand) - the 2 mil stuff.

Living in Atlanta, I keep the humidity regulated with a dehumidifier (one end of the room) and a second digital thermometer/humidistat on the opposite side of the room - I set the former at 40% with intervals of 4 hours on/off - the basement tends to hover around 50%. I've found that if you can control the humidity you don't have issues with mold/mildew and the bugs aren't as likely to invade if there isn't moisture present.

Each box is marked with a letter/number combination - I use the tagging available for Library Thing to tag the contents of every box - it makes it easy to find everything, especially when there are more than one copies of the same book or multiple editions.

11EclecticIndulgence
Jan 30, 2013, 4:20 pm

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