A Positively Moving Experience
Packing Up Books
Many people who are preparing to move away from their homes don’t prioritize the task of packing books. This can be due to people being distracted by all the aspects of the move, or considering that packing books is one of the easier aspects of packing up. While it’s somewhat true that packing books is usually easier than packing glassware or or plates, it’s still essential to know the basics of packing books so that you can prevent damaging any of your favorite books. Here’s Noah’s Ark’s seven step guide to packing books for moving.
Consolidating your Books
Books can be quite heavy as you stack them, so you should consider the distance you’re moving as well as the shipment weight before you decide to bring your entire library. Go through your book collection one by one and select only copies that you want to keep with you at all costs.
Sorting Your Books
Sort groups into separate piles, which you will leave, and which you will take. Donate all used books to libraries, schools, nursing homes, charity shops, or hospitals that accept donations. If any copies are too damaged to be adopted by any new readers, bring them to your local recycling center.
Packing Supplies
Make sure to purchase:
- Book Boxes made of strong thick cardboard.
- Packing paper that is clean and soft in order to separate rows of books.
- Newspaper to fill up the boxes.
- Packing tape to reinforce the boxes
- Marker pens in order to label the boxes according to their contents
Optimizing Book Packing
Make sure that all book boxes are intact, with no dampness, holes, tearing, or wear. Add packing tape to the underside of all the boxes to ensure they don’t break under the weight, and also place packing paper underneath the containers to serve as insulation.
Loading Book Boxes
Make sure to wrap valuable books in soft packing paper. Choose to lay books down upright, flat (heavier ones at the bottom) or spines down (the most dangerous way.) Make sure to pack all the boxes uniformly, and add rows of books with packing paper between – as well as crumpled newspaper to take up all the extra space to minimize shifting. Label boxes once you’re done.
Suitcases for Books
Since cardboard containers can get damaged, some people want to pack books in wheeling travel suitcases. This is a great idea – pack these with the heaviest books in your collection you want to take with you, so they don’t have to add strain to cardboard boxes- and it’s rather straightforward to do this, so there’s no need to label your suitcase.
