Moving books: packing, labels and unpacking order

1. Divide the collection into useful groups

Photograph the shelves before packing if you want to recreate their order. Choose a grouping that will still make sense in the new home: subject, destination room or a specific shelf section. For an ordinary household collection, a group name and a range of box IDs may be more useful than a detailed inventory nobody will maintain.

Keep books needed before the move or on the first evening in a separately identified group. The example below counts already packed boxes: three for the study, three for the living room and two for the children’s room, giving eight in total. It is not an allowance per room or a way to convert shelves into boxes.

2. Prepare one sample box and record its weight

Choose packaging suitable for the contents and check the box manufacturer’s instructions. Pack a representative group, then weigh the complete box including the books and packing material. Record the result alongside its ID. A description such as “books” or the outside dimensions of the box does not tell the provider its actual weight.

Discuss handling with the partner, including stairs, carrying distance and any equipment it proposes. A box’s rated capacity is not a universal safe carrying weight for a person. If the arrangement is unsuitable, redistribute the contents into appropriate packaging and update the list. Do not keep adding books simply because space remains above them.

• Estimate box quantities with a packing trial

3. Support the books without forcing them to fit

The Library of Congress recommends packing books flat, with larger, heavier volumes underneath, and filling gaps without overpacking.

Harvard Library advises against placing oversized volumes diagonally. Padding should limit movement without making the books difficult to remove; choose another box when the format does not fit.

Before closing a box, check that the intended group is complete and its number matches the inventory. Agree materials and the closing method with whoever packs or accepts the boxes for transport. If an album has moved to a separate package, change the record now. A checked sample gives everyone a repeatable starting point for the remaining shelves.

• General guidance on packing and labelling boxes

• Library of Congress: packing books and caring for valuable volumes
• Harvard Library: fitting books into shipping boxes

4. Connect each box ID to its destination

Put a unique ID on the box and in one shared list. Use the new room name: the old “study” label can be misleading if those books now belong in the living room. Place identification on the top and a side so the receiver can locate a number without opening the package.

Keep numbering consistent when one shelf group spans several boxes. Never reuse an ID after redistributing the contents without updating its entry. Mark any early unpacking priority explicitly, such as work references, school books or bedtime reading. This is more useful than labelling every box urgent.

5. Agree individual handling for unusual volumes

Oversized albums, a family volume and ordinary paperbacks may need different arrangements. Show the provider large formats and any existing damage before agreeing the packing work. Record dimensions and photograph the relevant item and visible condition. If you take a volume yourself, list it separately from the boxes assigned to the partner.

For especially valuable or damaged books, the Library of Congress recommends consulting a conservator; avoid repairs with self-adhesive tape. Establish who will arrange individual protection and who receives the item. A general furniture-moving agreement does not by itself describe the handling of a separate collection.

• Library of Congress: packing books and caring for valuable volumes

6. Hand over a current box list

Distinguish finished boxes, books still on shelves and items travelling separately. The provider needs to know whether your count represents the whole collection or only the packing completed so far. Confirm who finishes the work, when you will send the final count and where the boxes will wait for collection.

Describe floors, lift access and the carrying route at both addresses. Keep the waiting area out of the passage used for other furniture. Tell the provider before loading if the box count or packing arrangement changes, so it can confirm the effect on preparation and the agreed scope.

• Describe the route from vehicle to apartment

7. Prepare the receiving space before unpacking

Decide where the books will go and where closed boxes can wait without blocking the rest of the delivery. If a bookcase is dismantled, arrange its assembly separately and start shelving once it is confirmed ready. Do not direct book boxes onto shelves that have not been prepared for use.

Check received IDs against the list. Unpack one group at a time using the shelf photographs and priority notes, clearing empty packaging from the work area as you go. If an item is missing or visibly damaged, record the relevant number, photograph what you observe and contact your contractual partner.

8. Send the collection details with your enquiry

Umzughilfen is a marketing and referral service based in Idstein for moving enquiries in the Rhine-Main region. Include the packed box count, known weights, unusual formats, requested packing help and access details. The independent partner named in advance assesses whether it can carry out the requested work and proposes the conditions.

The quote, execution contract, work, invoice and payment are directly with that partner. Umzughilfen retains its own referral and data-protection obligations. An enquiry is not a booking. Confirm the final inventory and division of tasks before handing over the books.

• Prepare the details for a moving enquiry

Questions about moving books