Are you losing space to make room for your additional books at home? How about looking into storage units in East York?
In 2020, the percentage of readers in Canada reached 70%. While it is only a marginal increase from 69% in 2019, it tells us that we Canadians have many readers.
Unfortunately, this rising readership doesn’t have enough room in their rooms to accommodate new collections.
Thankfully, there are self-storage units, like the ones Bluebird Self Storage provides in East York, Ontario, that can help you store your books in the best way possible.
Here are the best ways to store books in East York.
What Are the Most Common Types of Damage to Books?
Printed words are powerful. And even though e-reading devices have replaced books, there is something irreplaceable about those pages.
The smell when you first open it, the feeling of moving your fingers as you flip the pages – these are the experiences that your amazon kindle can’t provide.
Unfortunately, these physical damages are always vulnerable damage. And when they happen, they sometimes turn the text incomprehensible and sometimes brutally deteriorate the pages. Sooner or later, the “mint condition” of your book disappears because of these damages:
Crunch Corners
All it takes is one drop for a book to crunch the corners of its pages. When those get smushed, you anxiously try to flip them back to retain the original shape, but the crease remains.
Water Damage
Dealing with water damage is nigh impossible sometimes, and it all depends upon how much moisture your book has absorbed. The best solution is often to put upon the book, keep the web page up and hope for a miracle.
Cover Damage
Cover damage is common in books that are not hard-bound. Unfortunately, most readers have soft bind copies because they are less expensive. While there are multiple ways to deal with this damage, none of them would be able to give back the lost sheen of your book.
If you keep your book collection at home, these are the issues you need to tiptoe through to maintain your book’s pristine condition.
That’s why booking storage units is critical, but we are getting ahead of ourselves.
Before we dive into how storage units in East York can be your extended library, here are some tips that will help you keep your books alive for a long time.
7 Tips for Storing Books Long-Term
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Inspect Books for Liquid or Food Damage After Reading
If you were eating or drinking while reading, don’t just close the book and put it on the shelves once you’re done. Crumbs of food and water droplets may have already made their way into those pages. While they won’t do much harm instantly, they act as a slow poison in the long term.
Therefore, always sift through the pages thoroughly after giving it a read. Find out if there are some water droplets or crumbs of food stuck in them. It is a lengthy process – but that’s what it takes if you want your books to last long.
One more thing – always check where you’re storing your books. If it hasn’t been dusted in ages, chances are there is enough moisture in there to give your book a slow death.
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Wrap Each Book Carefully
If you put away a book for long-term storage, wrap it carefully in either a paper towel or something similar. It will prevent any contamination from sticking to the book’s surface. It will also ensure that nothing happens to your precious book if the storage unit you’re using is dirty.
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Use a Storage Container
Always store your books inside a storage container. Keeping them isolated will prevent them from interacting with the environment’s contamination. As a result, they will last long. However, you can’t just pick up any storage container, as you need one made from plastic. It doesn’t decay for a very long time and would keep your books secure for years to come.
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Store Books Vertically
When you put your books inside Bluebird’s storage units in East York or anywhere else, don’t lay them down. Books should always be stored upright with paper edges facing upward. In addition to maintaining the book’s shape, it will stack other books that you’ve stored beside it properly.
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5. Use a Climate-Controlled Storage Unit
There is only so much you can do for your books at home to maintain their health. A climate-controlled storage unit has all the amenities required to keep your books alive for years.
Maintaining a steady temperature at all times will make sure that there is no humidity around your collection. Furthermore, having a climate-controlled storage unit will help you store sensitive items properly.
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Look for Bugs Before Packing
You can take all the safety measures you want, from storing your books in a safe place to keeping the temperature of the storage container suitable. However, all your attempts to keep your books alive will be wasted if you don’t watch out for pests.
The pages are filled with food for these little cretins, from animal glue to starch and gelatin. Ignore them, and you’ll see the rotten remains of something you loved ruined from pests when you return to your Canadian self-storage facility.
Thankfully, if you encounter any creepy crawlies over your pages, you can deal with them efficiently. All you need is a piece of cloth infused with turpentine, naphthalene, or a mixture of tobacco. After dry blowing your book to remove the bests, keep that cloth inside the container or the shelf, and it will prevent any pests from entering and kill any eggs hiding in the pages.
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Come Back to the Storage Unit in East York to Rearrange Your Collection
Staying vigilant is how you prevent your books from going bad. Bluebird provides Drive-up storage facilities to every customer. That way, you come by the storage unit any time of the day and keep a check on your belongings – including your books.
The containers are tightly-sealed, but you won’t have any issue opening them. Rearrange the books once you do and look for any damages that might’ve occurred. Even though the chances of that happening are low (our storage units in East York are known to be secure), it doesn’t hurt to check up on your belongings from time to time.
Why Choose Bluebird Storage Units in East York?
When it comes to finding the right storage unit, you have various options in East York. However, Bluebird believes in going the extra mile to provide a safe, accessible storage solution for your belongings.
- No rent increase for one year: Don’t be afraid of inconsistent pricing. Just come over, talk to us, and start storing items.
- Clean, modern, and bright storage facilities: Looking for a sleeker storage unit? We have them. Our storage units are bright, have clean designs, and are above your average modules. Justpick a size and get started.
- High Security: With us, your belongings and books will constantly be monitored. Getting into your storage unit is impossible other than you and those to whom you’ve given the access codes.
- Protected through insurance: All the things you store in our storage modules come under our protection plan’s cover. By paying just a few pennies per day, you’ll be able to secure your belongings if any disaster strikes.
- Active in multiple locations: Have storage units in East York within your reach. We have just opened in Bayview Village and Leaside as well.
Conclusion
If you want to add more books to your collection and want these books to remain in mint condition, you need a lot more than just shelves. You need a storage unit – one that’s climate-controlled and provides all the facilities you need to keep your books alive.
Bluebird is one of Canada’s leading providers of storage units in East York. We provide modern, state-of-the-art facilities to offer comprehensive storage solutions in Bayview Village and Leaside. Secure your extending collection of books with Bluebird today! Contact us to get started.
