So you're moving on to new horizons, but you don't want your book collection to suffer on the way. With the right preparation, you can help protect your vulnerable books from getting banged up during the transport - not to mention you can spare yourself from injury.

For starters, the containers that you use to store and transport the books can make a difference. Using sturdy, clean cardboard boxes is a safe bet, since the corners work nicely to protect the corners of your books, plus they're easy to handle and stack.

The most crucial tip as you pack your books is to spread them out. Unless you have only a handful to move, don't attempt to pack them all into the same container. Books are dense and carry a lot of weight on them within a small amount of space. Yes, even small paperbacks can quickly add up when you're dealing with a lot at once. If you pile a bunch of books together and try to lift them, you could risk injuring yourself.

Instead, try to put a few books together in each box along with some lighter things, such as clothes, towels, or stuffed animals. This will help maximize your packing materials without throwing your back out when you try to move them. Also, the books will help anchor each box down so that it doesn't slide around during the move.

For the extra special books in your library, like any collector's items, signed copies, or family heirlooms, you'll probably want to have them travel first class. In this case, you might want to invest in some bubble wrap to secure around each rare book before it gets packed. This will prevent the books from rubbing against each other or other items being packed. Try to pack the books so that they lie flat with their pages protected, such as by putting hard cover books (in the bubble wrap) against the corner of a box.

For the truly organized, a bit of labeling on the boxes will help streamline your unpacking. As always, you should try to pack each box so that the books and other contents won't shift around too much within it, and if you have control over how the boxes are transported, it's best if the boxes themselves don't clash too much during the move. If things are nice and snug, they're less likely to hit each other and risk causing damage. This is the best way to ensure that your library will be in fine shape for its new home.

Learn more about this author, M. Sparga.
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