Caring For Bookshelf Books

Keeping safe old friends is a task that requires some planning and hard muscle.  Packing and unpacking books is a good way to exchange, alternate and administer your written friends; even so, this means also that you have to have knowledge to care for the ones that are still on display.

Dusting a bookshelf every so often is not the only care that books can, should or must have.  The hardcover of a book is made of exactly the same material that your fingernails are made of, so, with the passing of time, the cover will dry up and start to break.  If you view your books as potential investments, then it is time for you to keep your investment safe.

The same problem is presented with leather-covered books, leather (just as your skin) requires moisture and lubricant to keep safe and beautiful.  A cloth damped on oil will work wonders on both types of hard cover books, this can and should be done only once every six months or so and it is a quick pass on the outside, do not do it on the inside since it might leave a stain on the pages. 

Light exposure will also damage the cover and in this case, it will damage all covers.  A good idea is to cover the cover so to speak with paper, make a paper cover for the book in your choice of wrapping paper, put a sticker with the name of the book so you will know what book you are talking about.  Do not use markers since the light modifies it and can imprint your letters on the cover.

You can change the wrapping paper as often as you want to alter the decoration.  This is a great approach for bookcases that are exposed to direct sunlight.