The Best Way To Pack Books For Moving

Anybody who's ever read books will know the pain of a damaged cover, ripped pages, or book jacket that isn't right.

You're likely to have experienced the frustration of moving books around from one place to another.

There have to be better ways to do all those bends, pages, and heavy hauls to and from the truck.

There is an easier way. Use our guide to packing books for moving.

1. Streamline Your Collection

The first thing to consider is: Do you really require all of these books?

Although it can be tempting not to give up on your library, curating a great library requires that you know when to get rid of some books.

Take a look through all your books to decide what you will take along and which you want to keep. You don't want your decision to be made too quickly.

How to Use the Books That You're Not Reading

After you decide which books you want to move to, there are many options.

A yard sale is possible if the weather permits. A yard sale is a good way to make some extra money before you move and to get rid of many things that aren't needed in your new house.

Have a book-themed party with your friends. Invite your friends to look through the books that you don't want and decide if any of them would like some for themselves. This is a great idea because the books will still be in your family and friends may let you borrow them once in a while.

Donate your books. It is a great way to ensure your books have a new home.

What are the best places to donate books?

These are the places where you can donate books to Ottawa

Ottawa Public Library: If you only have 2 small books or less, drop them at any Ottawa Public Library branch. Drop them off at Friends of the Public Library Association bookstores. FOPLA will arrange for larger donations. Details here

St. Joe's Women's Centre has an online wishlist of items for donation that includes books and novels for children, as well as non-fiction books. Details here

Saint Vincent de Paul, an Ottawa charity that operates thrift shops in multiple locations. They are always seeking book donations. Details here

2. Get your books packed early

It takes a lot of time to pack books because they require multiple boxes and careful placement. You cannot leave this one to the last minute.

We recommend that you make your books the top priority when planning your packing. Although you may need to manage a few boxes at first, they will eventually be done.

3. Sort your books by size

The next step is to determine which books will be traveling together to your new place.

You'll be amazed at how many sizes books come in as you accumulate more books. This adds visual interest to your shelves, but can be a hassle when you are packing Tetris.

We recommend organizing books according to their size. You'll be able to see how your books will fit together if you arrange them before packing.

4. You can keep the weight low by using small boxes

It is simple to hold one book. 30-50 books? It's not so.

It doesn't matter how many books your library has, it won't be easy to transport them.

Use small boxes to transport books. Keep the book's weight under 40 pounds. It will make it easier and safer to transport your books.

You should ensure that your boxes are strong, well-sealed, and lined with packing paper

You should get thick cardboard boxes that are strong at the corners and sides. Although we are all for reusing boxes, we don't recommend using a book box that has seen worse days.

Once you are certain that the box is strong enough to hold books, tape the seam at the bottom. You can sell your books against liquids and dirt with this extra tape.

Line all of your books boxes with newsprint or packing paper. It adds some cushioning to your book boxes and is just another way to protect them.

What are the best places to buy small boxes?

You have a variety of options to get the boxes that you want.

They are available from us. You can buy a wide range of boxes from us, including one that measures 2 feet in length. This box is perfect for books and comes right to you, which makes it the best option.

Ask your local store. All stores that have items shipped will keep the boxes at their premises for at most a few days after delivery. You never know, your local bookstore might have the exact item you are looking for.

You can check at work. You may be receiving deliveries of supplies or materials from your boss, or perhaps they were delivered to you by coworkers. The boxes might still be in an unopened closet.

You can reach out to social media communities. You can find local Facebook groups that you could reach out to asking for used moving supplies. There's a good chance someone moved in the past and has boxes left over.

5. Make Use of Your Rolling Suitcases

Our rolling suitcases are often thought of as clothing-holders with old airport tags. But, did you know that they can also be used to transport books?

These are sturdy and have plenty of room. They also come with wheels that make it easy to transport them from one place to another.

It's not hard to believe that it sounds so good.

It's actually not that difficult! You'll soon be rolling quickly if you follow the tips below for boxes and suitcases.

6. You can pack your books by weight

There are some books that are heavier than others. We're looking at you, an 600-page hardcover novel.

Now it is time to organize your books according to size.

Place heavy books at the bottom and medium-weight books at the middle. Light books are placed on top.

You can prevent the fragile books from being crushed.

7. You can use a mix of packing positions

You have three options for packing your books safely:

This is where you can stack books flat on your backs, especially if they are all of the same sizes.

This refers to position books that are on shelves. If you pack in this manner, your spines should face the wall of the box.

Keep your spines lower: Pack your book with the spine facing down to prevent damage.

To get the best out of your boxes, we recommend that you use a combination of these packing positions.

8. Use packing materials to fill any gaps

Despite books being perfectly rectangular, sometimes there is still space in the boxes. You should fill in any spaces left by books with packing material.

To fill the gaps, you could use your clothes instead. This is an excellent way to save money and still have a lot of stuff. Clothing materials can be soft and flexible but are durable. This makes them ideal for this job.

9. Protect the boxes with double layers of tape

You should also secure the top of your container with additional layers of tape, just as you did for the bottom. The best way to move books is in a well-sealed suitcase or box.

10. Label, Label, and more Label

You have taken great care of your books throughout this entire process. You still have one thing to do: add labels.

Not only should you label what is in your box but also which end is which, and how fragile the contents are.

You could use the example of "Books, this End Up." If you have very valuable or old books, add the phrase "fragile".

You might also consider adding weight warnings or arrows to the side of your box.

These labels are for anyone who picks up or moves your boxes. They'll be treated accordingly.

11. You should keep one or two books for yourself

You may wish to have a few books on hand for personal enjoyment, depending on how far you are moving and when you packed them. You can add these books to your move-day survival kit.

12. Pack the books early when you arrive at your new home

You've arrived at your new place! You'll be the first to set up your shelves and organize all the books.

Although this may sound counterintuitive, aren't there other important items to be unpacked? Do you mean the coffeemaker?

Your books don't have to be less valuable - unpacking will free up space and make it easier for you to store other things.

Is it okay for my books to be kept in storage?

It's fine if your books need to be stored for some time. You can use all the packing suggestions to keep your books safe, provided they are stored in a dry and controlled environment.

That's all for this video thanks for watching.

To get a moving quote from our awesome team click the link in the descripton.

burnabymovers