Tips for Packing Your Home Library

When preparing for a move, your library of books may fall on the bottom of the priority list. After all, books are fairly regular in shape and seemingly easy to pack in a box. However, some books are heavy and others may be fragile. Try these packing tips from Big Foot Moving & Storage, Inc. for preserving your library – and your back.

Keep Boxes Small

One of the key tricks to successfully packing your home library is to keep box size small. Books may be regularly shaped, but they are quite heavy. If you choose too large a box, while it may efficiently hold a significant chunk of your library, it will also be difficult to lift. While it may seem inefficient to pack a lot of smaller boxes, being unable to lift your book boxes is certainly even less efficient.

Organize Books by Size and Type

Before putting books into boxes, separate them out into hardcover books and paperbacks. Within those categories, organize your books by size. These groupings will allow you to fit the greatest number of books possible into each small box. While combining paperbacks with hardcover books may seem like a good way to lighten a box, it can result in damage to the paperback editions.

Use the Right Materials

Once you have placed as many books into a box as possible, look for any gaps or empty spaces. Use bubble wrap or packing paper to fill in these gaps. This helps to avoid shifting during the moving process, a common cause of damage to book collections. Additionally, if your books are going into storage with a full-service company like Big Foot Moving & Storage or if they will be kept in boxes for an extended period of time, add a silica gel packet to the boxes. This will absorb any moisture that could harm your books.

If you are packing first editions, collectible books, family photo albums, or other more delicate books, add layers of stiff cardboard between each book so that the spines will remain straight. Make sure such books go into a well-padded box and that there is no potential for movement during transport.

Label Boxes Clearly

After your boxes are packed and sealed, clearly mark that they contain books. This serves as a warning to anyone lifting the box that it may be rather heavy. Clearly marking book boxes is the best way to avoid injury when packing and moving your library.