Storing Rare and Valuable Books: The Complete Guide

Rare and valuable books are often some of the most important treasures that people wish to store. Therefor they are often concerned with how to keep their books in their best possible condition and ensure their longevity while they are in storage. In today’s blog we will be providing a complete guide on how to store rare and valuable books.

Climate Control

The temperature and humidity of the storage area is an extremely important factor when it comes to storing rare and valuable books. Too much humidity carries the risk of moisture, mold and mildew all of which pose a serious threat to books. Dry Heat also risks damaging books, causing leather covers to crack and drying out the glue used in book bindings. The ideal temperature for storing rare books is between 16*C and 19*C while maintaining humidity between 45 to 60 percent.

Sunlight

While all light can cause damage to books, sunlight and the UV rays that come from it are particularly dangerous. When storing rare and valuable books you will want to have as little sunlight entering the storage area as possible and you should avoid storing them in areas with direct sunlight as this can lead to bleaching, yellowing, browning, fabric deterioration or cracks in the binding. If you can’t avoid storing your books where sunlight is present, consider investing in UV-filtered coatings for your windows or dust jackets with UV protection for the books themselves.

Proper Storage

Ensuring that your rare and valuable books are stored properly is another way you can protect them and ensure their longevity. Books can be stored vertically or horizontally but you should be consistent and store books of a similar size together to avoid warping or other possible damage. You should also be sure to either keep your bookshelves full or invest in book ends to keep them in their proper position and avoid deformation. Be careful not to overstuff your bookshelves as this risks damage and warping and makes for easier removal of books either for reading or dusting.

Regular Dusting

Dust is a major concern when it comes to preserving the longevity of rare and valuable books. Dust can lead to the development of mold and mildew which risk damaging the stored books. To avoid dust damage, you should be sure to remove your books from their shelf or storage area and dust them regularly. You could also make use of acid free plastic book jackets to keep dust from accumulating directly on the books.

Invest in Bookshelves

The best way to store rare and valuable books is on bookshelves. Choose bookshelves made from coated wood or acid-free plastic, avoid any unfinished wood or plywood as these can cause destructive acids to leach into the books and cause damage.

Avoid DIY Repairs

Repairing rare and valuable books is a delicate art practiced by professional archivists and conservators who have the knowledge, tools and experience to repair books properly. Without proper tools, knowledge and experience you risk causing more damage to your books while “repairing” them which can affect both their longevity and value.

We hope we have been able to provide you with a comprehensive guide to storing rare and valuable books. If you are looking for climate-controlled storage units in which to store your books, please feel free to contact us.

Yaletown Mini Storage offers brightly lit, clean, affordable storage units in downtown Vancouver. Most units have 8-foot ceilings, and there are no access fees or limitations.

If you have any questions about this article or our downtown Vancouver storage units, contact us at (604) 603-5885.