If you have to store large quantities of books in a warehouse, there are two things you are going to need. One is very robust heavy duty bookshelves and a means of getting them there.
Often this can involve some quite lengthy journeys. For example, if you are moving a lot of books out of a library that is being closed ahead of a replacement being built, or the building being revamped, you might find adequate storage is not to be found anywhere in the local area.
A good example of this was around a decade ago when Manchester Central Library underwent a major makeover. Thousands of books needed to be stored and they ended up being transported many miles down to Cheshire, where they were stored on shelves in an old salt mine near Winsford, a dry environment that protected them from decay.
While cardboard boxes can be useful for short trips and carrying lighter items, often they are far from ideal for something heavy like books.
The benefit of storage in a place like a salt mine or well-appointed warehouse is that it is dry and sterile, but because cardboard is porous, any moisture can not only make the boxes less robust, but also risk water and mould getting into the books and damaging them.
By contrast, plastic boxes offer a range of advantages. They are not likely to break and they are waterproof and therefore offer protection against moisture. They usually come with some sort of handles, making them easier to move.
While cardboard can be recycled, it has a limited lifespan because heavy objects will soon wear a box out. A tough plastic box is actually a better environmental prospect because it can be used time and time again, in contrast with the single-use plastic that causes so many problems elsewhere.
So if you need to store lots of books somewhere safe, heavy duty bookshelves and plastic crates make the ideal combination.
