LM_NET: Library Media Networking
Sorry I'm so late with this hit but you all know what end of the school year
is like in libraries. Thanks to all the people who responded with
suggestions for packing up books to be stored for several years.
Kathy, If the storage area is dry and warm you won't have such a big
problem. We stored ours in an unheated building for 8 months and you could
start to smell them (we are just north of Seattle).
Wherever you store them, it must be dry. Mildew likes dark and moisture.
Your books are already going to be in the dark, so now all they need is
humidity. You should have a dehumidifier running at all times, unless you
are in a desert region.
I would think some baking soda or some kind of moisture-absorbing product
would be the best thing to use. I see things like that in catalogs all the
time but a name/manufacturer escapes me at the moment.
My mom just gave me a clipping out of a magazine about getting rid of the
musty smell in books, and it said to put them in a paper bag with crumpled
up newspaper, so I would think that if you put crumpled up newspaper in the box
it will keep the mustiness away.
Kathy, If this storage is going the be lengthy, I'd consider lining the
Xerox boxes with plastic. That way, if there is a flood or other water
catastrophe, you will still have books, not a paper mache mess. I'd like to
bet that the dryer sheet idea would work well, but you may need to renew the
sheets if the storage is more than a year.
Maybe those little silicone packs you find in equipment??? They are
supposed to soak up moisture, and that is what allows mildew to breed. I
haven't tried this mind you, just using my "head".
Put the books in plastic bags in the boxes if they are being stored for a
few years. Possibly with a powdered insect killer in the bag as well.
You might try some sort of cedar. Either shavings or blocks.
A couple of crumpled up sheets of newspaper will help a book that's already
musty, but I don't know about keeping it from becoming musty. I'd look at
three things: some kind of packing that would allow for air circulation
among the books and between boxes; a few cloves in each box to retard mold;
and maybe a small cloth bag of baking soda withing the box.
Kathy Lynch, Librarian
Daniel Int. School
Duncanville, TX
klynch@duncanville.k12.tx.us
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