Top 16 How To Pack Books For Moving Updated 04 /2024

A bent cover, a torn page, or a smushed book jacket frustrates anyone who has ever owned a book.

There is a good chance that you have also felt the pain of trying to move your books from one house to the next.

This isn't a good way to do things. There must be a better way.

We agree: there is a better way. When you pack books for moving, follow our step-by-step guide.

Streamline Your Collection

Do you need all these books?

It can be tempting to keep every book in your collection, but if you want to build a good library, you have to know when to let some books go.

Choose which books you will take with you and which ones you won't. It's better to start early and take your time: you don't want to make a hasty choice.

Is There a Use for the Books You Aren't Taking?

It's time to decide which books will be going to new homes. There are a lot of different ways that you can do this.

You could put on a yard sale (season and weather permitting). There are many benefits to having yard sales before you move. You can make a little extra money and get rid of a lot of things you don't want to move with you.

Then, invite your friends over for a book party. Then let them go through the pile of books you aren't taking and see if there are any that they want to buy for their own collections. Because the books are still in the family, your friends might let you borrow a book from them from time to time.

Give away your books. These are great ways to make sure your books find great new homes.

Where Can I Give Books Away?

The following places in Ottawa are where you can give books:

There is a branch of the Ottawa Public Library in every city. If you have two small boxes or less of books, you can leave them there. You can also drop them off at stores run by the Friends of the Public Library Association. You'll have to make an appointment with FOPLA at their distribution center if you want to donate a lot of money. See more here.

St. Joe's Women's Center: The center has a list of things they need for donations on their website. They want children's books, novels, and non-fiction books, among other things. See more here.

Saint Vincent de Paul is an Ottawa-based charity that runs a lot of thrift stores in the city. They always need book donations. See more here.

Pack Your Books Early

Putting books in boxes takes a long time. This is because it takes a lot of time because it takes a lot of high-quality boxes, careful placement, and a few breaks to read. One thing you can't put off is this.

Make your books the most important thing to pack when making a packing list. The boxes may be piled up for a while, but at least they're done.

Group Your Books By Size.

Before you move into your new home, decide which books will go with you.

Having more books will make you notice how many different sizes they come in. Because it looks good on your shelf, but it can be a pain when you're playing Tetris and you have to move things around.

This is why we think it's best to first group your books by size. By putting them all together before you start to pack, you'll be able to figure out how everything will fit.

Use Small Boxes That Will Keep the Weight Low

One book is easy to carry around. 30-50? Not really.

Every single book that you own will be heavy to move.

Books should be packed in small boxes that keep the weight under 40 lbs. This will make it easier for you to move your books, as well as safer for you.

Make sure that the boxes are strong, well-sealed, and lined with packing paper before you move them.

The boxes you get should be made of thick cardboard, and they should be very strong on the sides and corners. This is how it should be. You don't want to use a book box that looks like it's been through a lot.

Then, add more tape to the bottom where the seam is. A little extra sealing power comes from this. It also protects your books from getting wet or dirty.

Packing paper or newsprint can also be used to line your book boxes. This gives your books a little extra cushion, and it's another way to keep them safe.

Find Small Boxes: Where Do I Get Small Boxes?

To get boxes, there are several ways.

Get them from us. We have a lot of different boxes for sale, including one that is 2 cubic feet, which is great for books. This is the most convenient way to get the boxes, because they will be delivered right to your door.

Ask the stores in your area. Any store that gets things sent to them will have boxes for at least a day or two after the package is delivered. Who knows? You might be able to find what you need at your local book store.

Check your work. They may have received deliveries or supplies, and the boxes could be sitting in a spare closet.

Reach out to people in social media groups. Facebook has a lot of groups in your area, and you can ask them for used moving supplies. Chances are someone has recently moved and still has a lot of boxes in their house.

Use Your Rolling Suitcases

It's easy to think of our rolling suitcases as places to store clothes, but did you know they're also great for transporting your books?

They're strong, have a lot of space, and come with wheels that make it easy to move them from one place to another.

That sounds almost too good to be true.

It's not! Make sure you follow these tips for both suitcases and boxes, and you'll be moving in no time.

Pack Your Books By Weight

Some books weigh more than others. In this case, we're looking at your 800-page hardcover book.

You've already sorted your books by size: now it's time to put them in boxes by weight.

Put heavy books on the bottom, medium-heavy books in the middle, and light books on top of each other.

In this way, you won't have to worry about your more fragile books being crushed,

The Ultimate Moving Checklist is free!

Use a Mix of Packing Positions

There are three ways to pack your books that are safe.

The best way to stack books is to lay them down on their backs. This works best if all the books are the same size and fit in the box.

A book stands up on a shelf. If you pack this way, spines should face the walls of the boxes.

When you pack your books, put the spine on the bottom so that your pages won't get bent.

We think it's best to use a mix of these packing positions to get the most out of your boxes.

Fill Any Gaps with Packing Materials

When you buy a book, there's usually some extra space in the box even though it's a nice shape. When that happens, you want to use packing materials to fill in any gaps that might be there.

As a bonus, this is a great way to cut down on waste and pack a few more things at the same time! You could even use your clothes to fill in the gaps. There are soft, flexible, but durable clothes that are just right for the job.

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