Hobbies And Interests
Things You'll Need
Instructions
Books
Place bookshelves on inside walls away from heat sources and direct sunlight. If a room becomes too bright, close the drapes or blinds. Don't place bookshelves in kitchens or open areas too close to the kitchen. Steam and oils from cooking will damage/dirty the books.
Shelve books of similar sizes together. Make sure that they're neither too tightly nor too loosely packed together; you should be able to slip a book off the shelf without disturbing other books. When removing a book from the shelf, push the adjacent books in so that you can grab the center of its spine. Never pull the book out by the top of the spine; doing so will eventually cause the spine to tear.
Use bookmarks when reading and pencils when making notes in margins. Paper clips will leave crimps; any rust on the clips will transfer to the book. Post-it notes leave adhesive. Folds in the corner leave permanent creases and can cause tearing. The ink from pens and markers may bleed through the paper, and sometimes be transferred to neighboring pages.
Tie books with soft ribbons rather than string or rubber bands when packing them away. Pack the books in alkaline boxes inside the house and away from basements, attics, garages and outside walls. Use polyester jackets to protect dust jackets and leather binding. The jackets are especially helpful if the leather binding is flaking or cracking; they'll protect other books from being stained.
Documents
Frame documents with archival mats and backing under glass with filtered glazing. Hang them on inside walls, away from bright sunlight or fluorescent lights. Keep the drapes or blinds closed if sunlight is too bright. Don't hang documents in kitchens or bathrooms; oils from cooking and dampness can result in mold and buckling.
Keep your hands clean and dry when handling documents. Store documents flat in archival boxes and folders. Newspaper is highly acidic so clippings should be kept individually in polyester film, never on top of other documents or clippings.
Place the boxes in a cool room with low humidity. The Library of Congress recommends 35% humidity and a temperature lower than 72 degrees. Check the boxes for evidence of insects, mold or foxing ("foxing" is the appearance of brown spots on documents). Good housekeeping should help to keep your documents in good condition.