How to Pack Books for Moving

Sort and minimize your collection

Books are heavy and bulky. Packing up your entire collection could drive up labor and moving costs if you hire professional movers. To manage this, start by assessing the storage space in your new home, such as shelves or bookcases. If the space is smaller than what you currently have, you will need to reduce your collection.

Before packing anything, sort through every book individually and decide whether to keep, donate, or recycle it, keeping the limits of your new storage area in mind. Donating unwanted books is an effective way to lighten your load, save on moving expenses, and allow others to enjoy your old favorites.

Some places you can donate or give away used books are:

• Nonprofit organizations or charities like Goodwill or the Salvation Army
• Little Free Libraries
• Your local library branch
• Buy Nothing groups
• Schools

» MORE: What to pack first when moving

Gather the right packing supplies

Once you have narrowed down your book collection to only the volumes you intend to keep, gather your packing supplies. It is recommended to use multiple sturdy, small boxes rather than a few large ones, primarily to manage the heavy weight of the books.

Specialty book boxes, often sized around 12 x 12 x 12, are ideal for this task as they are designed to hold up to 65 pounds. They typically fit 12 to 15 hardbacks or 30 to 40 paperbacks. Suitcases or other rolling luggage can also be used to pack books, but be mindful of the total weight. A drawback of using suitcases is that they often don't stack as well as regular moving boxes when loading the truck.

In addition to moving boxes, you’ll need the following supplies:

1. Packing tape
2. Cushioning material and/or acid-free packing paper
3. Permanent marker

» MORE: How to pack for a move in 3 days

Pack books correctly

Properly packing your books is essential for preventing damage during the move, and the best way to do this depends on whether you are packing hardbacks, paperbacks, or special volumes. A general rule for packing is to stand hardback books upright with their spines against the box walls. For paperbacks, lay them flat in stacks to evenly distribute the weight.

To prevent books from shifting, pack a combination of hardbacks and paperbacks in the same box to fill empty space efficiently. Once the box is packed, use soft items like rolled-up packing paper, socks, towels, or old shirts to fill any remaining gaps and provide additional cushioning.

Especially valuable or fragile editions may require special packing methods. Here’s how to pack them correctly:

• Begin by individually wrapping each book in cushioning material or acid-free packing paper, ensuring all corners are fully covered and secured with tape.
• Next, line the bottom of a box with several sheets of cushioning material.
• Place the wrapped books flat into their own box and then fill any remaining space with additional cushioning material.
• Label the box with “FRAGILE” and “THIS SIDE UP” to prevent damage.

» DO IT RIGHT: Best packing services

Avoid overloading boxes

It’s important to limit the weight of your book boxes to prevent personal injury while loading and unloading the moving truck. Even though heavy-duty boxes can handle up to 65 pounds, you should restrict the weight to 30 to 40 pounds for personal safety when lifting.

Beyond the risk of injury, overloading book boxes can lead to several problems:

• Box breakage: The bottom can fall out or the handles may tear, especially on standard boxes.
• Property damage: If a box breaks, the falling books can scratch or dent floors.
• Book damage: Books themselves may be damaged when they spill out of a broken container.
• Increased moving costs: Long-distance movers often charge based on weight, meaning an unnecessarily heavy collection will increase your overall bill.

Make the best use of each box by filling the remaining empty space around the books with lightweight items you already need to pack, such as towels, small blankets, or stuffed animals. This way, you don’t overload the box but are still able to utilize the space.

Label and organize for easy unpacking

Proper organization and detailed labeling will significantly streamline the unpacking process. If your current collection is already organized (e.g., by content), take a photo of your shelves before you begin packing, then load books from the same shelf into a single box.

Be sure to clearly label the outside of the box with the contents or book type. Organizing your volumes as you pack is beneficial, especially for large collections, as it makes finding specific books much easier in your new home.

You can organize your books in various ways, including:

• Genre
• Read/unread status
• Color (for design or aesthetics)
• Author and/or series

Regardless of what you choose, taking the time to organize and label your books during the packing process is an effective way to ensure a smooth transition and quick setup in your new space.