Tips for Moving a Home Library
Even with modern technology, and the evolution of e-readers, there is always something so comforting about our favorite books sitting on the shelf. Moving a home library can be a daunting task. You’ll want to begin with a plan, and decide ahead of time how much space you will need to have in your new home to house your collection. Once you know you’ll have a place for them, you’ll need to decide what to keep, pack them, and get them there safely!
Be Generous
As you go through your collection, look through the titles, and decide if you want to keep all of them. Public libraries love to receive donations! Other places to consider are churches, retirement homes, hospitals and thrift stores. A good book never goes out of date, so consider passing some along!
Special Considerations
Do you have any rare, or out of print books? If you have a few of these special treasures, you’ll want to consider packing them separately. Make sure to use double ply boxes, or plastic tubs to keep moisture out, and gently wrap each book in acid-free tissue paper. Pack these unique finds nice and snug, filling in the gaps with more tissue paper, to avoid any upset during the moving process. As an added safety measure, you can use simple lawn and garden bags to wrap over each box once it has been packed. This will provide extra protection should you encounter any rain on moving day.
Keep It Together
A great way to stay organized when moving your library, is to pack the books just as they are housed on your shelves. Put all fiction in one box, nonfiction in another and so on. Be sure to clearly label each box so that you know right where to go as you unpack.
One of These Things is not Like the Other
Just as you’ll want to keep your genres packed separately, you’ll want to do the same for your book types. While sturdy paperbacks can generally be stored in a box, one on top of another with the cover facing upward, you’ll want to pack hard backed books differently. To avoid injury to the spines of these books, you will want them upright and packed closely to one another. If the box permits, you can place a thick quilt on the top of the books, then add another layer before taping up, and labeling the box.
