Boxed In

[kevin_standlee]

As I was going to Yuba City today, I filled as many boxes as I could with books for moving to my storage locker. I could have taken more books, except I ran out of boxes. Rather, I ran out of the right sort of boxes. I have a lot of medium and large boxes, but I don't like putting books in them because the boxes get too heavy. I prefer using "Xerox boxes" (cases of paper) or Bankers Boxes, because I can easily handle them and they're relatively easy to stack. There's one other problem, and that is that my locker is nearly full, or at least full in any of the areas I can reach without unpacking the entire locker. Still, if we get the place in Fernley, I'll be able to move some stuff up there, although it will also involve completely unpacking the locker to get at the furniture stored in the back. That's an all-day job, I reckon.

Comments

[travelswithkuma.livejournal.com]

Girls makes boxes. Thes trailes has hads lots ofs boes abouts.

Fors somes reasons todays girls wents backs to beds.
Thinks shes was nots feelings goods.

[crookedfeet.livejournal.com]

I hope you've packed the books upright, rather than flat. A friend just learned the hard way about books packed flat for too long.

[k6rfm.livejournal.com]

Uh, please expand? I think flat is better because it doesn't put torque on the spine. Willing to learn...

[k6rfm.livejournal.com]

I work weekly for Friends of the Palo Alto Library, and we are extremely rigid about using only the "banker's boxes". Everything else gets too heavy for old retired volunteers to lift, even the 1.5 cube "book boxes" one gets from moving companies.

The cute thing about the "banker's boxes" is they are available from many suppliers, and have interchangable lids; the size is set because they are letter-size hang files one way and legal-size hang files the other way.

[crookedfeet.livejournal.com]

Basically, books are built to be upright. Most modern books have glued bindings, not sewn, and if they are stored flat for too long, when the glue fails along the spine, it collapses said spine and is difficult to fix without rebinding the book. If the book is stored upright with other books, the glue may still fail, but the spine itself will still be in position, and the pressure on the sides help keeps the book intact.
A friend has just recently got some of his books out of storage and the above happened. They were stored flat for around 6 years. He's pretty upset because he's a collector in a mild way, and now these may not be fixable.

[crookedfeet.livejournal.com]

Bankers boxes are fine. I know they don't hold as many books stored upright, but it is best, if you care about the books and want them to be in good condition longer.