Boxing Your Books Without Breaking Your Back

By Scott Boone

Image courtesy of Pixabay

When it comes to packing, some chores are more difficult than others.  For instance, packing breakables such as glasses and dishes can be a challenge.  So, too, can packing books, although most people don’t realize this until the next day when their back is killing them.  Of course, back strain aside, there is a right way and a wrong way to pack books for shipping.

Step #1: Culling the Herd

If you’re like most people, you have books in a number of rooms.  Bathroom reading aside, you probably have books in your bedroom, your den or office and perhaps even your living room.  The first step involved in organizing your home library for a move is to review your books and see if there are any that you are most likely never going to read again.  What I’m talking about is culling the herd from the get go.  Reducing the number of books you are going to ship will help you in two ways.  Is the first place, should you be paying your movers by the pound, the more books you eliminate, the lighter the load.  Secondly, if you plan on having a garage sale before you move, books can be a big seller.

Before my parents moved from New Jersey to Florida, I helped them organize a yard sale.  Having lived in the same home for more than 30 years, my folks had collected a lot of stuff, including books. My mother had a huge collection of cookbooks, and my dad had tons of DIY books, many of which they no longer read.  During the course of a weekend yard sale, they made more than $400 on their book sales alone.  By the time the sale was over, they had cleared enough to cover 50% of the cost of their move.  Even better, what they didn’t sell and weren’t planning on moving, they donated to a local charity.

Step #2: Organizing Your Books for Shipping

Image courtesy of Pixabay

Here’s where most people make their first mistake.  Sure, you have reduced the number of books you are planning on taking with you.  What many people do now is group their books, according to location, as opposed to type.  They figure that since the books that came from their bedroom are going to the same location in their new home, then all they have to do is pack them into a box labeled “Bedroom Books.”  The problem with this assumption is that unless all the books in your bedroom are paperback novels, you are going to have a problem.  That’s because books come in a number of shapes and sizes.

Paperback books such as novels are roughly 5x8 inches in size.  Hardcover books, on the other hand, come in a variety of sizes, ranging anywhere from 6x9 to 9x12 or larger in the case of coffee table books.  In any case, books are heavy.  Books are oblong.  In short, the best way to pack books for shipping is by size.  This makes for even weight distribution, and it makes for the most efficient use of available space.

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Step #3: Choose Your Weapons

Choosing the best medium in which to pack your books is another conundrum.  Most people opt to pack their books into cardboard boxes.  The problem is, just as with books, cardboard boxes come in all shapes and sizes.  Pick a cardboard box that’s too big and not only do you run the risk of injuring yourself when you try to move it, but there is also the real possibility that the books will prove heavier than mere tape can contain.  This usually results in the books falling out of the box onto your feet when you try to lift it.

Image courtesy of flickr

If you decide to use cardboard boxes, choose ones that are no larger than 20”x12”x12”.  This precludes you from cramming too many books inside to make moving them problematic.  Make sure you also procure a couple of rolls of high-quality packing tape to reinforce the bottom of these boxes.  I recommend not only that you double up the tape on the bottom of the box before you begin loading it, but that you also wrap the packing tape around the box twice laterally once you have finished packing is to ensure the bottom doesn’t give way.

A far better solution is to procure plastic bins with lids and handles that are far better for dealing with a heavy load and have no bottom to blowout.  They come in a variety of sizes and can be found at big-box stores, stationery stores and online.

Step #4: Orientation

The last thing you want to do is get your books packed and moved, only to have them fall apart the moment you unpack them.  To avoid damaging your books during a move, you need to orient them to distribute the load and avoid damaging their spines.  The best three ways to pack books for shipping are lying flat with the heaviest books on the bottom, standing upright just as they do on your bookshelves, or spine down.  While the latter is the least preferred method, a real mistake would be to pack them with the spine up, since this can cause real damage to the bindings of the books.

Step #4: Anchors Aweigh

Image courtesy of Wikimedia

Last but not least, weigh the loaded boxes to make sure they aren’t too heavy to safely handle.  I recommend keeping their weight to no more than 40 pounds.  (30 pounds if you are going to use cardboard boxes.)  The easiest way to accurately determine their weight is to use a bathroom scale. 

Remember to use your legs to lift heavy boxes to avoid straining your back.  Another way to move heavy books without injuring yourself is to pack them in your suitcases, especially those that come equipped with wheels. 

If all of the above seems too complicated, always remember that your local moving company will be more than happy to pack, ship and unbox your library for you.  Not only will this make the chore of moving simpler to arrange, but your chiropractor will thank you as well.

With over 4,000 moves, Scott's Discount Movers has handled moves of all sizes, including local and cross country. If you are looking to move your home or office, you can depend on Scott's Discount Movers to provide a stress-free relocation.