Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: How to Protect Your Books
• Method 2 of 3: How to clean books
• Method 3 of 3: Arranging Books
• Warnings

Books are wonderful items that take up a lot of space. There are different ways to organize your home library that will give it a sleek look. Choose the one that works best for the books you have, and learn how to arrange, care for and keep your collection clean.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: How to Protect Your Books

1. 1 Store rarely used books in plastic boxes. If you have so many books that they can't fit on the shelves, it's best to store them in opaque plastic boxes that can be closed and stacked in a cool room. They will help protect books from sunlight, rodents and other unsuitable conditions, as well as remove them from the aisle. If some of the books are rarely used, then plastic boxes will be the best solution.
   • Vendors offer a variety of boxes in a variety of sizes. Choose relatively small boxes, about 30 x 30 cm, otherwise they will be too heavy.
   • Books in drawers can be stored in any room with a constant moderate temperature. In some cases, even an attic or garage will do. Polyurethane boxes protect books from insects and rodents that can harm printed materials.
2. 2 Find a suitable place for your book drawers. Have so many books accumulated that there are not enough shelves? It's not an easy task, but the boxes and the right approach remove many limitations.
   • Book boxes can be stored under the bed, against the back wall of the pantry, or in the basement. It is better not to take them outside the dwelling, because in the attic, garage or other outbuilding, sudden temperature changes are possible, which are destructive for paper and binding.
   • If there are too many books, then you can rent a suitable room. Books in drawers are best stored in a temperature-controlled room, and a regular garage will do just fine for old paperback books.
3. 3 Choose an area with low relative humidity. In very hot climates, books can warp. Under ideal conditions, the relative humidity should be around 35% to prevent bindings from warping and pages from curling. For long-term storage, choose a temperature-controlled room with a specified humidity level. You also need to take care of good air circulation.
   • For most books, a humidity level of 50-60% will work, but rare or valuable copies should be kept indoors at 35% humidity. If the preservation of books is important, then the humidity level should be lowered even lower.
4. 4 Store books away from direct heat sources. Storing books near air ducts, heaters, or other direct sources of heat can warp them. To protect the bindings, books should be stored at a relatively low temperature. In almost any climate, a room temperature of 15-24 degrees Celsius is suitable.
   • If you are concerned about the distribution of heat in a particular room and the safety of books, then you can regularly change their location so that the books are evenly exposed to the heat.
5. 5 Reduce direct sunlight. Soft room lighting has little effect on book health, but harsh, direct sunlight will discolor books and damage the binding and appearance of the pages. Books should be stored in a shady room with curtains on the windows.
6. 6 Vertical or horizontal position. What is the best position to store books? Horizontally on the back of the cover or vertically on the bottom of a book. Store them vertically so that the spine remains visible. This is how the books will support each other, ensuring stability and safety.
   • Never store books with the binding or spine up. Additional stress on the rib may shorten the life of the book.
7. 7 Protect books from bookworms. Some types of glue and paper often attract cockroaches, silverfish, various beetles and other insects. Usually, there is no need to worry about protecting books from parasites, but it is better not to store food or leave crumbs in the room with books, so as not to attract insects.
8. 8 Store rare books in special envelopes. Very rare or important books should be kept in plastic sleeves. You can buy envelopes of the correct size from second-hand book stores.
   • If insects have settled in some of the books, it is best to place them in a plastic bag and put them in the freezer for several hours to kill the parasites, and then clean the books thoroughly. For more information on cleaning books, see the next section.
9. 9 Find a suitable place to store rare specimens. If you have the first editions or rare books that are difficult to look after, then you can turn to the services of specialists. It is better to keep such copies in museums, libraries and private antique collections, rather than in a garage.
   • Rare books can be donated to national libraries or museums, and stored in book safes. The contact details of the libraries can be found on the Internet.

Method 2 of 3: How to clean books

1. 1 First of all, you need to wash and dry your hands. What hurts books the most? Dirt and natural oils on our hands. Always wash your hands thoroughly with warm water and soap and dry them with a towel before reading, flipping, or even cleaning books.
   • Very old leather-bound books or rare copies should only be handled with rubber gloves. Do not eat or drink next to rare and old books.
2. 2 Dust regularly in the room with books. Dust should not be allowed to settle and accumulate on the books. Usually, if the books do not get dirty, then for the sake of safety, it is enough just to regularly wipe the dust, as well as maintain the required temperature and humidity.
   • Remove the books and dust the shelves with a damp cloth, then put the books back in place.
3. 3 Wipe books with a clean, magnetic or lint-free cloth. For cleaning old books, it is best to use a microfiber cloth that collects dust. Unlike a feather brush, the fabric does not sweep away, but absorbs dust. You can buy these cleaning cloths at any hardware store.
   • Do not use water or other solvents to clean books. If a very rare book gets dirty, then it is better to turn to a second-hand bookseller or restorer for help. Most books should only be cleaned of dust.
4. 4 You need to clean books from the top to the bottom. When books are stored vertically on a shelf, in most cases dust or dirt will accumulate on the top of the cover and binding of the book. The underside usually remains clean. Begin cleaning from the top and work your way down carefully using a suitable dust-removing cloth.
5. 5 Use a small handheld vacuum cleaner to clean the ends. If dust often collects on the books, then use a handheld vacuum cleaner or a special attachment for a regular vacuum cleaner to gently collect the dust on the upper cut. Before individual cleaning with a tissue, run the nozzle along the top ends of the compiled books to remove the main plaque from them.
6. 6 Remember to vacuum regularly. Most of the dust in the bookroom comes up from the floor. That is why it is important not only to wipe the shelves, but also to monitor the overall cleanliness of the room. If people are often walking around the room, vacuum and sweep the floors at least once a week so that books do not need more serious cleaning.

Method 3 of 3: Arranging Books

1. 1 Choose a suitable shelf. The most convenient and safest way to store books is on special shelves. They are easy to clean, provide open access and make it easy to pick up the book when you need it. In furniture stores, you can find shelves for every taste.
   • Shelves made from natural treated wood and sheet metal work best. If the shelves are covered with synthetic paint or treated with other chemicals, there is a possibility of damage to the binding and pages of books.
2. 2 Arrange books in stacked drawers. This is a rather non-standard, but convenient way to store books. You can use old boxes for milk and other products of different sizes, stacking them on top of each other in a convenient way.
   • Place drawers on the side rather than the bottom to place books in the same way as on the shelves. This makes it easier to borrow books or browse through your collection.
   • Imagine this is a homemade shelf. Drawers allow you to organize books by topic, placing cookbooks in one of them, and fiction and detective stories in the other. Also, they can be transferred to other rooms or parts of the room due to the mobility of the structure.
3. 3 Children's books can be stored on thematic shelves. Stack of books for children can be placed on homemade or store-bought wooden shelves in the shape of animals or other characters by hanging them on the wall. Make a shelf or basket out of flat wooden figures and secure at a low height. This is a great way to spice up the nursery and tidy up the books.
4. 4 Arrange the books by genre. If you have a lot of books, it is very convenient to arrange them according to genre. Place novels next to other novels, compose non-fiction separately, and arrange other genres on other shelves. Choose a method that is convenient for you, based on the available books.
   • You can even categorize within genres. On the shelf with books on history, you can put together a number of volumes on military history, separating them from general history books, history of Europe and other subcategories.
   • If the books are predominantly of the same genre, then divide them into two categories: entertainment and educational books. All novels, storybooks, and science fiction should be put on one shelf, and old school textbooks and anthologies on another.
5. 5 Arrange the books by size and shape. Do you want your books to look attractive? If you group them by size and shape, the shelves, stacks or drawers will look orderly. Divide the books into tall and thin, and thick and low to match.
   • In addition to visual appeal, this approach provides optimal support for books throughout the entire area, reducing the burden on the cover and binding.
6. 6 Arrange the books alphabetically. If you prefer a linear approach, then arrange the books in alphabetical order for ease of searching. Despite the slightly chaotic look and lack of sorting by genre, you will always know where to look for the right book.
   • Use the title of the book or the last name of the author to organize your collection. As a rule, the title is easier for the author to remember, but in this case it may turn out that a significant part of the books starts with one word, and this is confusing.
7. 7 Arrange the books by color. If you value design, arrange the books by color of the binding and divide the room into sections of different shades, giving the shelves an exceptional look. Group the books by color and make a smooth transition from one color to another.
   • Use the color wheel to help you choose the right shades for your rooms, including bookshelves.

Warnings

• If your back hurts, don't overload your drawers with books.