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Monday, March 11, 2013

How to Preserve and Shelve Books Properly

Books are important tools for education. However, after being read, these are usually put away and mostly ignored. Thus, they should be well- kept and maintained in good condition to last for ages. Few people are familiar with tricks about shelving and preserving volumes to the point of making these priceless. If you consider yourself a bookworm, then you must have volumes of paperback to accompany you. And if you are to store them away, note that special care and supplies are needed.

Preserving Books

    Remove all dusts and smudges using a soft and clean cloth. If it has a hard glossy cover, damp the cloth a little and gently wipe. Make sure not to dampen any of the pages. If it has a stubborn price tag stuck on the cover, use a lighter fluid. Soak it for 20 seconds and gently peel off.

    Dusts easily accumulate even inside the boxes. Cover the volume with plastic bags and seal it using packaging tapes. This will prevent moisture out and keep it dry even when dumped in a moistened area. For paperbacks, using large envelopes will suffice.

    Put the books inside alkaline-buffered and acid- free boxes. You can lay them upright or flat whichever you prefer, just as long as they are fitted snugly inside. Store it in a cool area. If you have leather-bound items, keep them away from places with high humidity. It will dry out the cover which results in cracks and tears.


Shelving Books

    When shelving, the ideal position is an upright position. A book that leans on a board weakens its structure. The same goes for those rested on their fore edges. If you do this, the block will eventually sag and will detach from its binding and cover.

    It should be placed snugly but not tightly next to each other. Tight placing will lead to tugs during retrieval which can cause damage over the end caps and binding.

    When removing, fill the space by moving a little loosely. And when you need to return it, do not force it when the space is too tight. Rearrange the placement to make room. Do not leave it resting horizontally on top of the others on the shelf.

Whether you are preserving volumes in boxes or shelving in the library, use a book truck whenever you need to transports loads and volumes of them to your desired destination.



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