Books and Magazines:

When packing, start at the top shelves of bookcases to prevent toppling. Books should be packed in a 1.5 cubic foot "book box." Small or medium-sized books can be packed either lying flat or standing upright. Large heavy books should be stored lying flat. Never store books resting on the spine or the fore-edge (the front edge opposite the spine), as this can seriously damage bindings. Books stored upright should be packed securely enough to
prevent them leaning at an angle but not crammed together in a way that subjects them to excessive pressure and makes unpacking difficult. Books stored upright should not have items stacked on top of them.

When books are packed flat, one on top of the other, they should be arranged with spines and fore-edges alternating. Pack larger, heavier books at the bottom of the box, with smaller, lighter ones on top. Rather than searching for the perfect-sized book, use crumpled packing paper to fill any unused space.

Leather-bound books packed side-by-side can stick together if subjected to sufficient moisture. As a precaution, they should be wrapped in a good quality archival or 100% rag paper.

Magazines may be stacked flat or on edge in a 1.5. box.

Do not over-pack, as this can crunch books and create moving difficulty.

Files - Lateral and Vertical:

The contents of all drawers of a lateral file must be emptied and packed into moving boxes. The bottom two drawers of a vertical file do not have to be emptied, but all remaining drawers must be emptied into boxes for even weight distribution. When packing the contents of file drawers, be sure to take care to keep files in numerical and / or alphabetical sequence.

Record Albums/CD's:

Record albums or CD's should be packed standing up in the 1.5 cubic foot box. Use crumpled newsprint to complete a box that has some unused space.