Keep your bookshelves safe this monsoon

Hyderabad: Monsoons in India are not just about welcoming a break from the heat. It’s the added challenge of cramped living spaces and the season means fighting off humidity, dampness and mold in almost everything at home.

Books are one of those valuables too, especially for the readers whose world entirely revolves around books. For many, a collection of books are precious which they dearly wish to protect and care for years to come and several also treat their collections of reading material as a legacy of their own.

So, it hurts when one fails to care for them and protect them from the vagaries of weather, particularly during the rainy season. In such a situation, one can donate the books that are not in need. This way, books can reach people who will actually use them and it can form a basis for recycling those books.

However, for those who wouldn’t part with their books collection that they treat as the window to the world, here are some tips to follow to ensure and safeguard your library and stock of books.

• Books must be kept in a dry environment. Make sure to keep books in an anti-humid environment to save them from various types of situations.

• Try not to place shelves of books close to leaky windows, walls and doors which are prone to seepage.

• If you have a huge collection of books, place a dehumidifier in the study or your customised library. The dehumidifier keeps a check on moisture levels.

• In the case of smaller shelves, pouches of silica gel can be used.

• It’s a myth that only water can spoil the pages of books, direct sunlight has a tendency to also spoil your books. When the direct sunlight falls pages turn brown and fragile

• Dusting the shelves and re-arranging the space is also advised. This ensures books are being aired out.

• Fresh air can do wonders. Try to air out your shelves, from time to time. You can bring them out on days when the sun is shining bright.

• Ensure you pack things rightly while putting them away. If you are not using certain books you can safely store them in mul bags.