How to Pack Books

Cut the Weight

If you are preparing to pack your book collection for a long distance move, you may first want to evaluate how much of the collection you personally value. Because of their relative density, books tend to cost more per square foot than many of your other possessions. We recommend that you donate unwanted books before you pay a hefty price to move them.

Find a Sturdy Box

When you’ve identified the books you are taking with you, you’ll want to find a sturdy, medium-sized box to keep your books safe and manageable. It is recommended that you pack them with the spines touching the bottom of the carton. Do not pack with spine facing up, as the excess weight of stacked boxes can cause pages to buckle and bindings to break. You should additionally pack books of the same general size together to help distribute their weight.

Pack with Care

Expensively bound volumes or those of special sentimental value like picture albums should be individually wrapped before packing. They should also be separated with cardboard to ensure that the spines remain straight during transit and side-to-side friction does not damage the cover.