How to care for antique and rare books

How to store, handle and protect old and antiquarian books — light, damp, shelving and gentle handling to keep them readable for centuries.

Old books are wonderfully resilient — many have already survived a century or two — but they have three great enemies: damp, strong light and rough handling. Keep those in check and an antiquarian book will stay readable and handsome for generations. Here’s how.

Keep them cool, dry and out of the sun

Damp is the worst of all — it foxes pages, warps boards and breeds mould. Aim for a stable, airy spot, never a damp loft, cellar or against a cold outside wall. Strong sunlight fades spines and cloth quickly, so keep valued books off sunny shelves.

Shelve them upright and snug

Store books standing up, supported by their neighbours or bookends so they can’t lean and warp — but not jammed in so tightly that the spines are damaged when you pull one out. Very large or heavy volumes are best laid flat, a few at most in a stack. Give shelves a little breathing space for air to circulate.

Handle with care

Clean, dry hands are all you need (cotton gloves actually make you clumsier). To take a book from the shelf, push in the two beside it and grasp the spine at its middle rather than yanking the fragile headcap at the top. Open old bindings gently and only as far as they want to go — never force a book flat.

Don’t “repair” with sticky tape

Ordinary sellotape is the great destroyer of old books: it yellows, stains and is very hard to remove. Loose pages or a cracked hinge are far better left for a proper book restorer, or simply kept in a protective box. Likewise, resist writing in or “cleaning” pages.

Keep dust down and pests out

A gentle dust along the top edge now and then (closed, so nothing falls between the pages) keeps grime out of the gutter. Watch for signs of insects or mould, and never store books in sealed plastic, which traps moisture — acid-free boxes or open shelving are far kinder.

We always have a few interesting old and collectable books in stock — browse thebooks collection, or if you have a library to sell, our guide toselling antiques and house clearances is a good place to start.