How do you store books long term?

[Hyacinth]

Too many books; not enough shelves. I know many here can relate.

So what do you do with the books you aren’t ready to part with but don’t make the cut for the limited available shelving? We’ve discussed building more shelves and that’s a plan down the road. But meanwhile…I have many books that I’d like to put away for my (as yet imaginary) grandchildren. What’s the best way to store them? Are Sterilite bins okay for this purpose if I add those moisture-absorbing packets? Or is there some kind of special box or container I should be using? Any other tips?

[HomeAgain]

We use plastic totes in a room with a dehumidifier running. I'm not sure of the brand, but they're squared off and stack better than Rubbermaid.  Picture books, out of rotation non-fiction, and some older paperbacks are kept in there.  They've done fine, and we live in a pretty humid area during the summer.

[Terabith]

I have a bunch that have been in plastic totes for many years.  I resorted them recently, and they're still fine.  Mine are not in a room with a dehumidifier or climate control, but it is in our basement, not a shed or something.  

[marbel]

We have a mix of plastic and cardboard boxes. They are in a basement with a dehumidifier. Some of the cardboard boxes are banker's boxes, so kinda thin; we also have a lot in boxes from a bookstore my husband worked at - they are nice and sturdy. All are inventoried in Readerware so we can find something if desired.

 

[Ailaena]

I threw things in cardboard boxes and never even gave thanks that I live in a crazy dry climate.  I don’t exactly recommend that.  

[elegantlion]

We're using bankers boxes that are clearly labled. Some are on bookshelves, others metal shelving, some just stacked (long story as to why the variation). Lowes has banker's boxes that are a bit more heavy duty than those you'd buy at Target. 

We're planning on moving within the next year so things are really just stacked wherever possible right now. Long term, we're going to get more metal shelves and use a bedroom as an archival room. 

[Starr]

We are moving. And my question is for how many years does one store books in said boxes? 🤪

[Hannah]

Ours are in large plastic boxes.  Our primary risk to books is fish moths (silverfish), so they are stored with moth balls.  Not ideal to have books infused with chemicals, but so far we've not found another good solution.  

[Laura Corin]

I have them in plastic boxes with dehumidifier sachets in the garage.  Before we moved last year, we asked the kids to choose which books to keep.  As they weren't at home, I sent photographs, shelf by shelf, for them to decide on.  It's still a lot of boxes, but about half the volume we had.  We donated quite a lot of home education books, including some lead-balloon reader-alouds (The Wheel on the School....).

[PeterPan]

14 hours ago, Hyacinth said:

I have many books that I’d like to put away for my (as yet imaginary) grandchildren.

I have books that have sat in boxes, in storage, because I thought/hoped they'd get used by my ds. I also have books my MIL saved. Now I'm doing the hard work of decluttering them. I'd encourage you to move them on and not store. Tastes change and they really may not get used.  

11 hours ago, Starr said:

We are moving. And my question is for how many years does one store books in said boxes? 

Don't do it. Sell them. Keep only the few that are extra special favorites.

Homeschooling is a very brief stage, even when it's long. The longer I go, the more I realize I can't hold onto the past.

[73349]

I limited myself to what fits on my closet shelf. Other books have been re-homed. I don't want to save a lot for imaginary people.

[Hyacinth]

2 hours ago, PeterPan said:

I have books that have sat in boxes, in storage, because I thought/hoped they'd get used by my ds. I also have books my MIL saved. Now I'm doing the hard work of decluttering them. I'd encourage you to move them on and not store. Tastes change and they really may not get used.  

Don't do it. Sell them. Keep only the few that are extra special favorites.

Homeschooling is a very brief stage, even when it's long. The longer I go, the more I realize I can't hold onto the past.

I hear you. I’m a rabid de-clutterer and “things” don’t hold a lot of sentimentality for me. But, oh, those memories of mornings spent snuggling on the couch, under the blanket, discovering Frog and Toad, Miss Rumphius, Ramona…. Well. I want those books nearby. 

[Beth S]

I stored 6 cardboard boxes of books in our midwestern US attic for 5+ years.
With a garbage bag around each box, in case of a roof leak.
(We are a book-loving family.)

With our new Empty Nest, I went thru them & decluttered/sorted last month.
Started with 750 kids books, and saved 500.
I'm just highly-highly recommending this process.
(I just didn't have the time until recently.)

Like PP, I kept the best (first-tier) books that fit into our 3 bookcases.
I let the piles "sit" for a few days, while I contemplated what to keep/donate.
I took pix of the ones I was discarding, so the kids could claim them.

We now have a Non-fiction book case, & the other 2 are beloved fiction (from picture books to novels).
I kept my very favorite ones in my closet bookcase.

The kids took about 50 of the 250 I decluttered, & the rest went to a homeschooling friend & our library book sale.

I'm really at peace---it was NOT good to store them in our attic!
I love looking at the books that we loved, & I know that the discarded (second-tier) books are being enjoyed by others.
My granddaughter chooses her favorite book each (quarterly) visit --I'm hoping I can release them one at a time!