For all our bookworms out there – have you ever relocated your home library? If you’ve struggled with it before or just about to get into that adventure, you might need helpful guidelines. “What’s so hard about packing books anyway? Anyone can do it,” you might think. But, if you want to do it efficiently and safeguard your books, whether you’re doing a local relocation or a long-distance move, check out these tips.
Sort Your Books
One paperback book is not a big deal. It’s pretty light and unnoticeable. However, get 10 of those and you’ll notice the trouble. Not to mention the hardcover, which most book lovers prefer. This is an essential point because of the shipment weight when the Chicago movers arrive. Go through your books. Are all of them your or borrowed? Do you have any duplicates? Do you want to transport all of them? When you sort your books, especially if you have a big home library, you might get rid of significant shipment weight.
What to do with books you want to get rid of?
As book lovers writing this piece, we understand the pain. That’s why you can make sure to give out your books to people who love them, too – friends or family, organizations, libraries in your area, etc.
Books’ Packing Supplies
Even though we observe books as a low-maintenance packing item – which it essentially is – you probably have some valuable pieces in your collection you don’t want to damage. This is what you need:
- Sturdy packing boxes – a thin cardboard box won’t help you with the books since they are heavy and those boxes might easily fall apart. Get some either made of thick cardboard, or light yet sturdy plastic.
- Old newspapers – You might want to save some of your favorite book editions, and you can do it with simple filling material, your old newspapers, and magazines. If you don’t have those, invest in some packing paper to protect your favorite books.
- Labeling pen & tape – When you label your boxes, it will be easier for you to organize when you move in. The tape will be your savior if you are using old-school cardboard boxes. It will provide additional support.
As self-development author Jim Kwik said, leaders are readers. We couldn’t agree more, so protect what’s valuable and have a safe relocation.
