Books

Storage enclosures for books

People using books are less hasty and take better care if they see that you are taking steps to protect your books.

Boxes and wrappers provide excellent protection for books. They protect against:

• light and UV radiation;

• dirt and dust;

• disasters; and

• people.

Many rare and valuable books are stored in purpose made Clamshell boxes. When these are well made, using archival-quality materials, they are one of the best methods for storing individual books.

Clamshell box containing a book. The book is sitting in the base of the box on the right. The lid on the left closes over the top of the base. Photograph courtesy of Artlab Australia

They are handmade and relatively expensive. If you wish to buy this type of storage box, contact a conservator about having boxes made up or about learning to make them. Clamshell boxes are complicated to make—in some cases even for those who have made them before—so we have not included instructions.

A number of ready-made archival-quality boxes are suitable for storing books.

A selection of archival boxes for book storage—available from suppliers of conservation materials. Photograph courtesy of the State Library of New South Wales

If you cannot get a box to fit your book exactly, buy one that is a bit big and pad out the excess space with acid-free tissue, to prevent the book moving about too much. Don't try and force a book into a box that is too small for it. Alternatively, you can make your own storage enclosures. Instructions for some easy storage boxes and wrappers follow.