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Moving can be difficult no matter what you are moving. However, got book lovers, one of the most stressful things to move are their literary treasures. Sounds silly to the casual reader, but to bookworms, there are notes, feelings and smells attached to nearly every book added to the collection over the years. Take a look at our tips to make sure your catalog makes it to your new home in pristine condition.
Cull Your Shelves
Sounds like blasphemy, I know, but hear me out on this one! All of us have collected duplicate copies of books, collected textbooks, or been given books that were, let’s just say…less than page turners. Whether your move is local or long distance, save yourself some time and hassle by going through your collection and making sure you want to take all of your books to your new home. When you identify books that you don’t need to revisit, make sure you find them a quality home, like a local library or a friend that might get some more value out of a particular title.
Books Are Heavy! Use Small Boxes
Although it may be tempting, don’t make the mistake of trying to fit an entire shelf in one large box. Books are heavier than they seem so try using bank boxes or something of that size to transport your literary favorites. Avoid risking the health of your back or even your feet by using more manageable box sizes.
Consider Alternative Packing Options
Don’t have smaller boxes or bank boxes? Go ahead and get creative! Plastic bags or trash bags can be great vehicles for getting your books to your new destination securely. Also, if you want to go green, consider using suitcases with wheels for your collection.
Label, Label, Label!
It sounds pretty obvious, but do yourself a favor, and label all of your boxes. Personally, we recommend grouping your books by category or in alphabetical order, but no matter what your preferred system is, make sure you can identify which books are in which boxes. You will thank yourself when you are putting together your new library.
Factor in Temperature and Humidity
Especially if you are planning a long distance move or going to have to store your books somewhere, make sure that you account for the climate that your books are going to endure. Specifically, old books are more susceptible to wear and tear from the elements, so make sure you have a climate-controlled environment, such as your car, for your books to make it to your new home in the best possible condition.
Put Aside Your Emergency Reading Materials
In the zeal to get your belongings packed up sooner rather than later, make sure you set aside a secret stash of reading materials for the days before the move and your first few days in your new home. Few things are more frustrating than sitting down to relax at the end of the day and realizing that your current
Prioritize Your New Bookshelf
Even though the bedroom is probably priority number one for your comfort in your new home, make sure that you put your sitting room or wherever you choose to but your books high up on the list as well! As easy as it is to consider that a non-essential portion of your move and leave those boxes lying around for longer than you should, get your bookshelves up and running. Trust us, having your space to access your favorite authors will go a long way towards making your new space feel like home quickly.