I am thinning out my childrens’ books and want to store them for their kids.
I was planning on putting them in a large rubbermaid container with a good lid on it and put it in our cellar in the basement. ( It is very cool, as one can imagine.)
Any suggestions if this is right or dreadfully wrong?
It depends on the level of preservation you’re talking about.
Certain plastics off-gas, which can damage books and paper. I’m not sure if Rubbermaid is one of these, but I can state with certainty that we don’t use them in the museum in which I work.
What I would recommend is buying an acid-free cardboard box and some acid-free tissue paper. Put a layer of the paper down, then a layer of books (not touching one another). Sandwich the tissue paper between each layer of books.
How dry is your basement? Does the humidity remain relatively constant? It should be at about 50% – anything higher will encourage mold and anything lower will dry out the paper too much.
The problem is that your books probably have inherent vice-- meaning that the very materials used to make the books will corrode over time. The acids in the paper will cause them to discolor and eventually crumble. There’s not much you can do about this. Proper storage will slow the deterioration, but not stop it.
The basement is actually pretty dry. The cellar is pretty much whatever the temp is outside in the winter and has fresh air vents for circulation.
Besides paper to put in there, what about something like a bag of charcoal or some other absorbing product?
(Thanks for your input, btw. I will look for the boxes recommended.)
I’d be very careful about putting anything in the box with the books. You never know how the material is going to act over an extended period of time.
What I would suggest is buying a humidity monitor and watching it over a couple of months to see how much fluctuation you get.
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Usually, we don’t recommend storing things in basements. We always suggest people store items in a closet in the interior of their homes (away from outside walls). The temperature and humidity remain relatively constant in this kind of environment.
I’d be very careful about putting anything in the box with the books. You never know how the material is going to act over an extended period of time-- it may end up staining or off-gassing on the books. Plus, the material might absorb too much of the humidity, leaving the items too dry. It’s best just to put them in a stable environment.
What I would suggest is buying a humidity monitor and thermometer, putting it in the basement, and watching it over a couple of months to see how much fluctuation you get.
I would further suggest that if you’re going to put them in the basement, that you place the box in a way that air can get to all sides of the box (don’t put the bottom of the box directly on a flat surface. Put it up on “legs”, like some smaller boxes at the corners, so air can circulate beneath it). Check them periodically for any signs of insects or mold.
Usually, we don’t recommend storing things in basements. We always suggest people store items in a closet in the interior of their homes (away from outside walls). The temperature and humidity remain relatively constant in this kind of environment.