Books are beautiful objects, but they take up a lot of space. There are several elegant solutions you can adopt to keep them at their best. Learn to choose the most appropriate storage system and to organize, clean and care for your collection in the right way.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Protecting the Books
Step 1. Store them in plastic containers
If you have so many books that you don't know what to do with them, the best place to store them is in opaque plastic containers that you can seal and store in a cool place. The containers help protect the books from sunlight, rodents and other external dangers and are easy to stack in places where they are out of the way. They are a good option if you don't need regular access to your collection.
- Most retailers offer a large variety of such containers in different sizes. Try to get relatively small boxes, no larger than 30 x 30cm, otherwise they will get quite heavy.
- You can store them wherever the temperature is constant and cool; attics and garages will do well in certain climates. Polyurethane containers should adequately protect the volumes from insects and rodents that could otherwise damage them.
Step 2. Find a suitable place to store the containers
Do you have more books than shelves? Finding a place for all those old paperbacks can be difficult. But with the right system, you can find space for them too.
- Store the containers under the bed, in the back of the closet or in the basement. Try to keep them indoors if you can. Attics, sheds and garages that are too exposed to the external environment can suffer severe temperature changes that risk damaging the binding and the paper.
- Consider renting a space. An internal warehouse might provide a stable temperature and be suitable for old book boxes, while an external garage might be fine for your old paperbacks.
Step 3. Keep them in rooms with little humidity
An excessively hot and humid environment puts a strain on books: the binding may warp and the pages wrinkle and mold. Ideally, books for long-term storage should be stored in a place that does not undergo climate change and with a relative humidity of around 35%. It is important that there is good circulation of dry air.
Humidity below 50-60% should be fine for most books, but rare or valuable ones should always be stored at around 35% indoors. But if you are really determined to keep them safe, you should make sure that the humidity is even lower, if possible
Step 4. Keep them away from direct heat
Heaters, electrical appliances, and other direct heat sources can warp books if they are too close together. To protect the binding, store them in places with relatively cool temperatures. In most climates, an ambient temperature between 15 and 24 degrees is fine.
If you are concerned about the distribution of heat in a particular room, regularly alternate the position of the books to make sure that some are not more exposed than others
Step 5. Limit exposure to direct light
Not too bright lighting has little effect on the health of books, but direct sunlight may discolor and damage the binding and pages. The rooms where the books are stored should have curtains on the windows, to keep the environment in the shade.
Step 6. Arrange them upright or flat
The best way to store books? Flat on the cover or vertically on the "foot", the lower edge of the book, so you can comfortably read the spine. The structure of the books is designed to be arranged in this way, so that they support each other and keep each other stable and safe.
Never place them with the spine facing up: the hinge of the binding will eventually break, which will affect the life of the book
Step 7. Protect them from moths and other insects
Certain types of glue and paper can be a tempting snack for cockroaches, silverfish, beetles, and other insects. In most cases, you don't need to worry too much about an infestation, but it's still a good idea to keep food and crumbs away from the room where the books are stored to avoid attracting insects.
Step 8. Store rare books in protective cases
Very rare volumes or those that you feel you need to protect from an infestation should be kept in plastic cases. You can also find them in many rare book stores and there are several sizes.
If you find that some of your books have been attacked by bugs, the best way to disinfect them is to put them in plastic bags and keep them in the freezer for several hours to kill the bugs, then clean them thoroughly. Read the second part of this article for more information on proper book cleaning
Step 9. Consider finding a facility to store very valuable items
If you have early editions or particularly rare works that you fear you will not be able to protect adequately, you may want to entrust them to a professional who can take care of them for you. Museums, libraries and private collectors can store such items much better than a garage.
You could entrust them to a state library or a cultural foundation that collects artistic and historical works. Or you can look for a private sector expert who can assist you in the retention process
Part 2 of 3: Cleaning the Books
Step 1. Wash and dry your hands before handling them
The number one enemy of books? Dirt and oil on your hands. Always wash them with warm soapy water and dry them thoroughly before leafing through, cleaning or handling books in general.
Rare, antique, or leather-bound volumes must be handled while wearing latex gloves. Never eat or drink near precious works you want to protect
Step 2. Dust them regularly
They must be cleaned routinely to prevent dust from accumulating. In general, unless they get very dirty, removing dust and keeping the temperature and environment under control should be enough to keep them clean for a long time.
Start by removing all the books and cleaning the shelves thoroughly, dusting them thoroughly before putting the volumes back in
Step 3. Use a microfiber dust cloth
It's the best way to clean books - instead of just picking up dust, like a regular duster does, this type of fabric traps it and removes it completely. You can find it at most home improvement stores.
Do not try to clean them with water or solvents. If you need to remove dirt from a very rare book, take it to a bookseller who trades in these types of items and learn about restoration techniques. Most books shouldn't be cleaned in any way except with a light dusting
Step 4. Clean them from "head" to "foot"
If you keep them upright on the shelf, most of them will be dusty or dirty on the top only, while the bottom should be mostly clean. Start from the top, gently wiping the dust-catching cloth.
Step 5. Use a small hand vacuum cleaner to clean the edges
If the books are very dusty, it may be advisable to gently pass a hand vacuum cleaner or a nozzle inserted on the tube of the normal vacuum cleaner over the upper edges of the binding. Do this while the books are still on the shelf, in order to remove the bulk of the dust, and then return to each volume with a cloth.
Step 6. Vacuum the room regularly
Most of the dust found in a room comes from the floor. As important as dusting the shelves is, cleaning the environment regularly will help keep your collection in top condition. If your books are in a busy area, vacuum the floor at least once a week to prevent them from needing more extensive cleaning.
Part 3 of 3: Arranging the Books
Step 1. Choose a library
The most organized and safest way to store books is to use specially designed shelves, which allow you to browse and access your collection quickly and easily. Home bookcases are always a good choice, and you can find them in most furniture stores.
The best surfaces to store books on are those of pre-treated natural wood and metal. Synthetic paint or other chemicals, on the other hand, can transfer to the binding and paper, compromising its quality
Step 2. Put them in wooden crates
This is a more original way to arrange your books: you can recover old milk crates or other boxes of various sizes and then arrange them in different combinations to make the most of the space you have.
- Arrange the crates side by side instead of stacking them on top of each other, so that you can slide the volumes into them as if they were shelves, thus facilitating access and consultation.
- Think of it as a do-it-yourself bookshelf. The crates also allow you to organize your books by genre; for example, you can put the cookbooks in one chest and the novels in another, even keeping them in different rooms if necessary. An additional advantage is that they can be moved easily.
Step 3. Store your children's books in themed cabinets to hang on the wall
If you have children, a creative idea is to buy or create a wooden container in the shape of an animal (or whatever your kids like) and attach it to the wall; add inside small shelves or baskets in which to keep books within reach of the child. It's a great way to liven up your kids' room and keep all their books tidy.
Step 4. Sort them by gender
If you have a lot of books, this is one of the easiest ways to organize them. Put the novels with the novels, the essays with the essays and so on. You can be as specific as you want, adjusting to the types of books you own.
- If you want, you can further subdivide the individual genres. In the history section, for example, you could separate military history texts from natural history, European history and other sub-genres.
- If you don't have many different genres, you can divide them into two broad categories: pleasure reading and study texts. Put all novels and short stories in the first section and old school or college textbooks in the other.
Step 5. Sort them by size and shape
Do you want your books to look good on the shelves? Then separate them according to their format, so as to give a neat and harmonious look to shelves, piles or crates. For example, put the taller, thinner volumes on one side and the shorter, thicker ones on the other.
Regardless of the nice and organized look that comes with it, keeping books of similar size together makes them support each other better and helps keep covers and bindings stable
Step 6. Arrange them alphabetically
If you have a more logical and pragmatic mindset, it may seem more sensible to organize your collection in alphabetical order, to ensure easy reference. The bookshelf might look a bit chaotic and you will end up with very strange juxtapositions on the shelves, but you will always know where each book is.
You can sort them by the author's title or surname. Titles are generally easier to remember, but there is also the problem of the large number of titles starting with "The" and "A", which could be confusing
Step 7. Sort them by color
If you value the aesthetic, this can be an excellent way to give the room a special touch and make your bookcase stand out. Sort the books by cover color and place them on the shelves so that they go from one color to another through subtle gradations.
