From Kathy Twitchell, librarian at Literary Lantern Bearers in Kingfield, Maine.

Do you need to move your library? Do you find the need to store some of your collection elsewhere? There are a few things one might consider if one needs to move or store a significant quantity of books. 

One thing to consider is Distance. If I were to find a large space nearby where I could shelve my whole library collection, I wouldn’t necessarily need to move it all at once. I could take books off a shelf in their current order, place the stack in a box in that identical orientation (as if they’re standing on a shelf) and move a few boxes across town. Unboxing and placing books on the new shelf in the same order would be quick and easy, relatively speaking. In reality, moving 10,000-20,000 books is likely neither quick, nor easy, but this is a simple way to do it. However, if one needs to move all the books at the same time, whether near or far, one needs to pack differently so the boxes can be safely stacked. Keeping the books in shelf order is a great goal, but it is secondary to making sure they are protected when packed.

Something else to take into account is Duration. How long will the books be boxed? If they are all being moved on “moving day,” then there will be a period of time before they will all be unboxed, even if that is the first thing you do after moving. Therefore the books need to be stacked in the box snugly and safely. If most of the books are able to lay flat/ horizontally, stacked to the top, then more can be tucked in vertically around the edges. The goal is to minimize shifting so book damage and surface wear can be avoided.

A major factor when packing books for moving or storage is Weight. A banker’s box full of books can weigh more than 40 pounds (18 kilos) depending on packing density; this is the largest size I will use. A bookish friend of mine uses banana boxes, the large cases that are designed to hold 40 lbs. of bananas. When packed well, these boxes (and apple crates) can each hold 60 – 75 lbs. (28-35 kilos) of books. While the boxes themselves are generally sturdy enough to handle this weight, I am not. Even though I have strapping sons and a strong daughter to help me move boxes of books, we often move a number at a time. Even the young folks don’t really appreciate hauling multiple 60-70 lb. boxes of books around. 

I do use a number of different smaller sized boxes for books when I can find them free at the small local grocery store. I much prefer those with handles and a lid or top, like bulk tomato boxes or egg boxes (the size that holds 15 dozen eggs in cartons, NOT 30 dozen.) However, I also have some purchased boxes. Uniformly sized boxes are the best option for stacking in a moving van or a storage space. 

I have been using the same banker’s boxes for 3 years to manage the boxes of books I have been giving away every week at our home education co-op. I generally have 600-800 donated books on hand, and lay out at least 6 tables of titles every week. These boxes full of books get toted (by teenagers) every week, some across the hall and some to the other wing of the building. Regular banker’s boxes from Wal-Mart or Staples are good, but the Heavy Duty ones I found (from Sam’s Club, available by shipping only) are much better. U-haul book boxes are also within my preferred size range.

Before filling, I do reinforce the boxes with tape (for tape, the heavier the better for moving, I would think). I currently put Heavy-duty Packing Tape along the seams that result from unfolding the box. I also put at least two strips across the shorter side of the box bottom, going halfway up the sides of the box, for additional reinforcement. If moving or considering long-term storage, I would add another strip or two here. (I might reinforce all the handholds, too.) I tape each corner of the lid inside and out to keep them from unfolding, and for moving I would snugly tape the banker’s box lid onto the filled box (over the top,  like I reinforced the bottom.) This seal can be easily cut at the edge to open the box, since the lid fits over the top.

The reinforced banker’s boxes hold up pretty well if the books are packed properly. 

Again, It is very important to stack most on the books horizontally, lying flat in the box, all the way to the top. In you intend to stack the boxes for moving and storage, you want the boxes to be densely packed full to the very top in order to support the weight of the boxes that will be stacked on top. I usually have my boxes stacked 3-4 high, but I would go six high if needed. Beyond that would be over my head, so if that is not a concern for you, another layer or two might be fine. 

If I can, I do try to leave room for my fingers at the hand holds for each box; in my opinion these handholds are one of the best features of banker’s boxes. In this case, I usually stack smaller books vertically on either side of my horizontal stack(s), to allow my fingers into the box. It is fine to put in books standing up, as if in a shelf, when you need to fill around the edges. Just *don’t* pack any books SPINE up. This position is what will damage your books in storage. Yes, I learned this the hard way!!! It is tempting to pack books spine up so one can see the titles at a glance. If this leaves the page block hanging down for any length of time, the hanging weight can damage the binding. Yes, bindings can be repaired, but better to avoid the damage. So if I need to stack (or shelve) books in that manner, I put them spine *down*. 

I intentionally leave that space for my fingers near the hand-holds (up to an inch). However, for moving or storage, I pack every other space and hole with crumpled brown paper or packing pillows or whatever filler I can find (I do personally avoid loose packing peanuts). It does cost me a little more storage space when I cannot pack boxes completely full of books. MORE IMPORTANT, however, is to keep the books from shifting in the box. It is this movement that damages boxes (and sometimes books.) So I cannot emphasize enough to pack each box snugly, even if that requires repacking. Don’t let packing pillows overflow the space, either. You want the boxes snugly packed, but not bulging anywhere. If I weren’t just using what I already have on hand, I would buy bulk rolls of brown paper and bubble wrap for filling these spaces.

For storage, keep in mind that high humidity is a concern. Books can tolerate extremes of heat and cold for a time, if necessary, but not high humidity – that is why one would seek climate-controlled storage. Air conditioning can reduce humidity in the air, but high humidity is something to monitor closely. Depending on the region, air conditioning might not be sufficient for safely storing books, even for a few weeks. Another consideration for storage is flooring. Moisture will be wicked into cardboard boxes that rest on concrete, so I always use wood pallets to keep boxes off the floor.

Finally, I would like to mention an Inventory. If I have time, I make a list of the contents of each box, keeping it in three places (plus on the computer). I securely tape a heavy duty sheet protector to one side of each box to slide in an inventory page. I keep one copy in a sheet protector inside each box on top of the books. I keep a third printout in a sheet protector in a binder, labeled by box number. I also clearly mark each box on top and all four sides, with number and/or general description (Redwall Series, mixed HC & PB). I personally also date everything I put in storage. Even if I don’t have time to itemize the contents, I still label each box to death. 

Note: I can find heavy duty sheet protectors at Sam’s Club far more economically than Staples. I personally prefer clear ones, but a matte finish is available. 

This post is part of our Ask The Librarian series, a Card Catalog Project. You can find more like this here. And, we would love to connect with you! You can find us on Facebook here.