I may soon come into some old books (100-200 years old), including some Shakespheare (105 year old, Falstaff edition boo-ya ;)), but my room is mouldy, dusty and damp, so I don’t think I should store them there.
Where (what conditions) is best for storage, and any tips for the preservation of these titles would be welcome.
Well, obviously cool and dry. For the most valuable ones maybe airtight storage with a dry nitrogen purge, but the newer ones may be problematic. Around 150 years ago papermakers started using alum in the papermaking process. Alum makes the paper slightly acidic and is going to make the paper brittle over time. You can deacidify the paper, but that is very expensive for anything other than a page or two.
I’m just a papermaker. Maybe one of our library scientists will wander by.
The Cornell Library has a list of publications about preservation. Scroll down to one titled Care of Family Papers and the Home Library.