How to pack and move books

For genuine bookworms, there are not many things as satisfying as looking at your perfectly put together book collection and beaming with pride. After all, you’ve spent years hunting down all those books that now proudly grace your home. But as good as it feels to look at your collection, once you have to relocate, and realize that all those books now have to be packed and moved, will be a nightmare. To pack and move books is everything but easy. They are heavy, easy to damage, and they carry incredible emotional value. The first course of action should always be to hire library moving companies. They have all the experience needed for handling your books with the utmost care. However, if that’s something your finances don’t allow, there is no reason to worry. You have our expert tips on the matter.

Before anything else, you’ll have to leave your sentimentality behind

Yes, we already know you are attached to your books in ways only you can understand. However, during a move, it’s imperative that you remain practical. There is nothing to be gained by bringing hundreds and hundreds of books. Books are heavy, and plenty of moving companies charge based on the weight of the cargo. And that doesn’t change if you hire antique movers or library movers.

Besides, moving is notorious as the perfect time for you to declutter. We know that you wished that wouldn’t include your home library, but the truth is a bit different. Or at least it should be if you know what’s good for your finances.

Gather the necessary supplies for packing and moving books

When speaking about the packing of any kind, your mind inevitably wanders to the necessary supplies for such an endeavor. That’s only logical, as moving boxes are among our first associations of the moving process. When it comes to the supplies that are needed to pack and move books, they somewhat differ from the ones you would need for packing and moving heavy furniture, for example. To successfully relocate your books from point A to point B, you will first have to shop for: 

• A bunch of small and sturdy moving boxes
• Packing paper 
• Packing tape
• Marker

At least you can find comfort in the fact that you won’t have to buy any specialized moving materials. You won’t need different types of moving boxes and you won’t have to buy a lot of protective packaging. That will do wonders for your budget.

Think about the strategy you want to use when you pack and move books

If you are a book lover, we are sure you already have your favorite way of grouping your books. Are they grouped together by genre? Perhaps you like to keep your books in the alphabetical order? And maybe you even like to group your books according to the author. Whatever strategy it is that you like, you should also use it when packing your books.

A smart way to pack leads to easy and stress-free unpacking. You will already have an idea of where your books are, and you will just have to take them out of the box and put them in their new designated spots. Although, for that to happen, there’s one thing you should do first.

Labeling your moving boxes is crucial

We’ll never understand why something as simple as this is so easily overlooked. It doesn’t matter whether you are moving computers and electronics, packing fragile items or relocating books – you should always label your moving boxes. This will not only help your movers by warning them to be more careful with certain boxes, but it will also lead to easier unpacking. You’ll already know which box goes into which room, which will make this endeavor ten times easier than the alternative.

Seal the boxes before packing

There is no reason to save money on something as cheap as packing tape, and that’s pretty much all the material you’ll need for accomplishing this task. Do you have any idea how the most reliable local NJ movers recommend you to put your moving boxes together? It’s by putting a double, maybe even triple layer of tape over all the seams. It will prevent the box from ripping and compromising the safety of your items. Of course, for that to happen, you have to pay attention to the weight of the box. Never overpack a box – it won’t do you any good.

Be extra careful with those books that have special value

We here at Moving of America – NJ Movers understand your passion for reading, as well as your love for books. We also know that, for you, all of them have special value. But, right now, you have to think in terms of monetary value. If you have any expensive editions which are rare to find and thus valuable, you should go the extra mile in protecting them. Not only should you generously wrap them with packing paper, but you should also place a piece of stiff cardboard between two volumes. This will prevent any movement in the box and keep the spines straight, which will protect your books.

It also goes without saying that you should make sure not to pack a box very tightly. If you do, you might damage your books when taking them out. On the other hand, you should also make sure there is not too much space between any two volumes. It’s all about finding the right balance, which seems to be the key to the success of this difficult process. And to pack and move books will be anything but easy. But hopefully, our tips will serve their purpose and help you keep your books intact.