How to store books in storage

Dr Suess famously wrote the words: “Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks”. But what happens when you have more books than nooks and crannies? Well, you might think it’s time to start thinning out your beloved book collection. But we have some good news: this doesn’t have to be the case. If you’re an avid book collector, consider trying to store your books in storage. Of course, this isn’t practical for books you’re currently reading or the books next on your to-read list. However, for classic collectors books, books that your little ones don’t read anymore that you’d like to keep, and other books you can’t quite let go of, it’s the perfect solution. 

There are many ways you can store books in storage. The best options are to either box them up or store them on bookshelves within your storage unit. Curious about how to store books in storage? We’ve got you covered with our step by step top tips.

Get your books cleaned up

If you like to sit in bed with your coffee and a pastry whilst you read your book in the morning, you might not be surprised to find that there are crumbs or damp spots between the pages. Before you store your books, it’s important to get them clean. If you put a book into storage that has been exposed to sugars or liquids, mould or mildew can form and spread to other books in your collection. 

Open up the books you’d like to store. Brush any crumbs from the pages, and leave books open on damp pages to dry. If there is any food or drink residue on the covers, wipe them clean with a slightly damp cloth and leave to dry. All your books should also be free of dust if possible. Ta da! You’re ready to pack your books up for storage.

Find the perfect box

Once your books are clean and ready to be stored, it’s time to figure out how to store them. If you’re planning on storing your books on a bookshelf in storage, simply pack your books up neatly in a cardboard box and you’re ready. If you’re storing on a bookshelf, you can skip right down to step 5. 

However, if you’re storing your books in boxes, you’ll need to look for spacious plastic containers that are waterproof. Avoid using cardboard boxes that have been previously used for food or that could be damp. These can attract mice or bugs that will destroy your precious collection.

Wrap each book up

You can’t just throw your books in a box to store books in storage. Instead, carefully wrap them in paper towels or tissue paper. This will help protect them from damage caused by dirt or dust. 

Fill up your boxes! 

Stack heavier books on the bottom of the box. Make sure they’re stacked in size order too, so smaller books don’t bend under bigger ones. Precious books should be edged with bubble wrap so the corners don’t get damaged. 

If your books are odd shapes and won’t stack neatly, store them vertically as you would on a shelf. This method will help to protect the shape of the books. Be careful not to jam too many books into one box though, as this can cause the spines to warp. 

Add some silica gel packets inside the boxes too. Once the boxes are full and tightly packed up, close up and seal. You’re ready to take your books to storage! 

Plan your bookshelves

If you want to store books in storage on a bookshelf, it’s important to remember you might need a larger unit than someone with a couple of boxes of books. However, if this is still the way you’d like to store your books, let us give you some quick pointers! 

Place your bookshelf near an interior wall rather than an exterior wall. This means less fluctuation in temperatures. Make sure the shelf has enough space between the back of it and the wall, which allows air flow. You should also make sure the books aren’t crammed in together too tightly, for the same reason. 

Make sure you leave the dust jackets on books that come with them, and regularly dust any that don’t have jackets. The acidic elements in dust can actually damage paper! Lastly, keep the books away from any direct sunlight (much easier in a storage unit than in your own home!) which can fade the covers and discolour the pages. 

Pick the best self storage solution for you

If you want to store books in storage, it’s important to make sure you pick the right self storage centre for you. For instance, if you want to store very old and precious books, you might want to store them in a storage unit that offers strict climate control. Here at Currie Easy Self Storage, we offer self storage in a range of sizes (from lockers to units big enough to fit the contents of a house) to fit every need and lifestyle.

If you just want to store a couple of boxes of books, we can help you out with a small storage space. If your book collection varies in size over time, we can work closely with you to provide you the best storage solution for you. We can help you move from one of our smaller units to one of our larger ones, or help you expand into multiple units.

Come back and check on your books! 

Self storage is a great way to keep your precious items clean and safe, but that doesn’t mean you should leave them in storage and forget about them. If you store books in storage, come back and check on them regularly. This means if any of them have started to collect mould or mildew, you can stop the damage before it affects your whole collection. At Currie Easy Self Storage, you’ll have complete freedom to come and go from your storage unit as you please during our opening hours. 

No matter what you want to store and how long you want to store it for, we’ve got your back. Get in touch with us today or get a free no obligation quote from our website, so you can store books in storage asap!