Taking Care of Your Personal Library (1)

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

Do you have books at home on shelves? Congratulations! You have your very own personal library. And like every good librarian, you'll need to take care of that library of books and the shelves, if you want to have anything of value. You also want to make sure that your books are in good condition when you are ready to read them. Books can quickly and silently deteriorate, if they aren't properly cared for, succumbing to mold, mildew, stains, and dust that can't be removed.

Another reason to maintain your personal library is because of your friends. We have our books on bookcases in our family room. This room is just off of an outdoor screened in porch and often the first room we and our friends enter and exit. Because of this fact, we often linger in the family room, and I can't tell you the number of times someone has picked up a book or two off of the shelves. Thankfully, everything is pretty mold, must- and dust-free, and the books are all in good shape.

Taking care of your personal library is not too difficult. You'll need to set some time aside. The amount of time will depend of course on the size of your collection. And understand that you may not be able to resist the temptation of thumbing through your books, reading passages, etc. I completely understand. Some books are like old friends, warm and comforting, while others are new friends or acquaintances, full of excitement and promise.

So how do we begin? Here are some easy steps to follow:

1) Periodically dust the bookshelves. Don't worry specifically about the books, but get any loose dust off of the shelves when you do your regular dusting.

2) When it comes time to do a through cleaning, pick one section at a time. My general game plan is to start with the bookshelf closest to the left of the room (as you use it) and begin with the topmost shelf of that bookcase. Take it shelf by shelf to begin with, and the job won't seem so overwhelming.

Check back for Taking Care of Your Personal Library (2), in which I'll give you the rest of the steps in detail, with lots of tips to make the job easier.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, online content manager, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania in the middle of the woods but close enough to Target and Home Depot.

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