How To Pack Books For Moving | Book Riot

Spread Books Out

Another technique I’ve used in the past to move books is to not dedicate whole boxes just to the books but spread them out amongst different boxes and suitcases to spread out the weight. Books can help fill in many of the nooks and crannies, so, say you have a box of pillows or pots and pans, lining the sides and top with books can help keep things in place and give you an easy way to transport a ton of books. This is also where rolling suitcases can come in handy, since they will make the heavy load of books easier to transport. This method can make it difficult to stay organized, so if you are super anal about the order that your books are in, this may not be the best method for you.

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Get Rid of Books that No Longer Bring You Joy

Moving is also a great opportunity to get rid of any books that you no longer need. I know this may seem like blasphemy to some, but any avid book collector knows that you inevitably end up with some duds. The ARCs that you were sent and never read? Free books from the street? Do those really need to come to your next home? It can be really good to clean out your library to make space for even more, better books in the future!

Stack and Pack Tightly

As far as physically packing books, I always prefer to stack the books flat, lining up similar sized books in the same box, and then filling in any gaps with small books or packing materials to keep everything in place. This is another reason that smaller boxes are helpful—they are usually the perfect size for two rows of books, with a little room on the side to pack in less valuable or more durable books to protect everything inside. For extremely valuable books, I recommend wrapping them in tissue paper or items of clothing and placing them towards the middle of the box or suitcase to avoid any damage in transit.