Care and Storage of Your Books, Part 3
November 15th, 2007 by Alan Chudnow
This is the third in a four part series on Care and Storage of your books. Links to the first two parts of the series, Handling Your Books & Shelving can be found at the end of the post.
Environment
As a basic rule of thumb, if you feel comfortable, so will your books. If the environment is too extreme – too hot, too dusty, too damp, – you wouldn’t want to live there and neither is it a good place for your books.
Heat will dry out the glue or boards and cause warping and discoloration; layers of dust can be abrasive and attract moisture leading to mold. It is a good idea to incorporate cleaning your books and shelves with your normal household cleaning routine.
Dusting done on a regular basis can be done gently with a clean cotton cloth or a clean feather duster. Avoid using a household vacuum cleaner (even with handheld attachments) as the power of the average vacuum can easily further damage weak or delicate book jackets and spines.
Some collectors I know use a small handheld vacuum such as one used for computer keyboards. These have considerably less power than the household variety and can be useful for edges and gutters with less chance of injury. Care is the watchword here.
A low powered hair dryer may also be used if the unit has a no-heat/low power setting. These devices can be useful for blowing away accumulated dirt and grime from deckled (rough or uncut) edges, decorated boards or any part of a book you would prefer not to touch directly.
High humidity in the environment can also promote mold and attract insects, whereas extremely low humidity, as found above hot radiators and next to heaters, can dry out glues and leather bindings. As a rule of thumb, if you find the climate pleasant chances are your books will too.
Direct sunlight or light with a high ultraviolet index will break down paper, cloth and leather and fade colors. Known as “sunning”, it the most common cause of damage to older books other than physical damage caused by mishandling, and is frequently seen as a lightening of the spine of a book or dust jacket as pictured on the left.
Avoid shelving books in direct sunlight or, if necessary cover them with a drape or cloth.
Barrister cases or glass enclosed cases should be opened periodically to allow the air to circulate and to allow the books to be dusted and inspected for mold and insects.
Boric acid is a simple preventative against most pests. A small, open container, tucked in the free space between your books and the back of the shelf, will help keep insects away. A clove or two of garlic per shelf may also help.
The general rule stated at the beginning is worth repeating; keep your books in the same environment that you would prefer to live in yourself. Books that are keep clean and comfortable and treated gently and with respect will be healthy and happy for many, many years.
As much as we love to have our books near us and at hand there may come a time when we have to put a number of books in storage for a time. In the final part of this series I will address the dos and don’ts of long-term storage.
Until then, Occupo Libri!
