SF Bookworm: Collecting Science Fiction Books

From the NY Times:
“Arthur C. Clarke, a writer whose seamless blend of scientific expertise and poetic imagination helped usher in the space age, died early Wednesday in Colombo, Sri Lanka, where he had lived since 1956. He was 90.”

Complete article here.

An era passes.  A moment of silence please.

For those unfamiliar with desiccants, it is a substance that essentially “sucks up” moisture from the surrounding air. You’ve probably encountered it as small white packets in vitamin bottles and other products that need to be protected from humidity. Desiccants are most effective in a closed environment such as a hermetically sealed bottle or plastic bag but can be used in other ways.

I’ve never used a desiccant in storing my books as I live in a relatively dry climate (although after writing this I’m now seriously thinking about it) but it’s certainly something worth considering if you’re planning to store your books for any length of time in a climate prone to humidity or excessive damp.

There are a number of commercial products that one can find in prepackaged form which can be placed in your boxes with your books.  Salt is a common desiccant and is a natural antibiotic and anti-fungal agent as well which is why it is commonly used in the preservation of food.  Rice is another low-cost desiccant and you can easily make small packets of either tied up in a piece of porous cloth to pack with your books.

Thanks to ScifiDrive for this comment on an added precaution for protecting ones books in storage.

Tennants Auctioneers in Leyburn, North Yorkshire host their Spring Book and Map Sale this month.  From their web site:

At noon on Wednesday 19th March Tennants in Leyburn will host their Spring Book and Map Sale with over 340 lots of books covering a vast variety of subjects. There are some first edition gems by Beatrix Potter including ‘The Tale of Two Bad Mice’, ‘The Tale of Timmy Tiptoes’ in its original dust jacket, ‘The Tale of Jemima Puddle Duck’, ‘The Tale of Mr Toad’, ‘The Pie and the Patty-Pan’ and ‘The Roly-Poly Pudding’ estimated to sell for £100 to £500.

In the science fiction and fantasy genre is a 36 lot collection built up over many years by Barrie Stirzaker.  Many are signed first editions in fine condition and are estimated to sell from £50 to £300.

Additionally,

For James Bond fans there is a first edition of ‘Live and Let Die’ with its first issue dust jacket, estimated at £800-£1,200.  A rare first edition of Pullman’s ‘Northern Lights’ from his ‘Dark Materials’ Trilogy is estimated at £800 to £1,200.

Tennants auctioneers Book Sale

This is the forth and final installment in the four part series on Care and Storage of your books.  Links to the first three parts of the series, Handling Your Books, Shelving and Environment can be found at the end of the post.

Long Term Storage

As much as we love to have our books near us and at hand to admire and reference there will almost inevitably come a time you have to put a number of books in storage for a time. If you must store your books in boxes there are a number of things to keep in mind to maintain your books in a clean and healthy state.

When selecting cartons for storage make sure they are well constructed, preferably with reinforced seams, and on the small side. Books are heavier than they look and keeping your individual containers small will help prevent the likelihood of injury both to the box of books and to you.

Ideally books should be packed into boxes just as they would on the shelf, which is to say, upright and resting on their bottom edge. Often this will lead to a gap between the top of the books and the lid of the box. Using “filler” like bubble-wrap or air-filled plastic bags (like the ones Amazon.com uses for shipping) can help support the lid of the box if others are stacked on top. Avoid stacking too many boxes as the weight will crush the containers underneath.

In addition, be careful not to over pack your boxes and never force a book into a space that is too small for it. If packing books for a short period of time, say during a move, you may wrap books in newspaper or bubble wrap for protection against rubbing. However it’s not a good idea to store newspaper-wrapped books for longer periods as the newsprint can become acidic, damaging the book. For longer storage, acid-free tissue paper is available from many archival suppliers.  I list a number of them on the Resources page of my web site Collecting Science Fiction Books.

Avoid storing your boxes in the basement or attic if possible unless the space is climate controlled. Remember, if you don’t want to live there, then neither do your books. Try and keep boxes off the floor on raised shelves or pallets to minimize exposure to insects and moisture and protect the one on top from sprinkler heads, heaters and windows. Restrain from stacking too many boxes as the weight of those above will crush the containers underneath.  If your books are in a commercial storage facility attempt to find a space that is close to the middle of the building, as far away from insects and weather as possible. In addition, arrange frequent visits to check up on conditions and make rearrangements as necessary.

I highly recommend that you clearly label your boxes so you’ll be able to locate individual books later on. Generally a box number and the authors’ surnames it contains is enough to locate the appropriate container. I also recommend keeping an index of your collection either by hand or on a computer. There are a number of software programs available to keep track of bibliographical and storage location information for your collection. Not only will such a record be helpful in hunting for books to add to your collection but it will be invaluable when trying to locate a single book amongst several boxes in storage.

By and large books are pretty resilient but they can be damaged through neglect and careless handling.  However with a little forethought, a little effort and a little care, you can help the books you love retain their sparkle and extend their life.  Every collector understands the importance of a book’s condition and almost every book owner wants to keep the books they own looking their best.  I hope this series has given you a few tips on keeping your books in the condition you wish for as long as you have them.

Occupo Libri!

Care and Storage Series: Part 1  Part 2  Part 3