Is it only me who have this book conserving problem???? plz help!!!

[bookworm fellow]

I shelve my books in a cabinet. It seems to be the easiest way to store books, you can easily take the one you are looking for at any time. But the obvious problem is that the books will eventually accumulate dust. This is not big deal. Dust itself doesn’t spoil the books.

But the thing is that in my city the air pollution is extreme. Maybe you won’t believe, but what I’m going to say is a fact: here, if you now clean any piece of furniture, 24 or 48 hours later if you slide your finger in the same place you previously cleaned you’ll have to wash your hand. There will be a black dust all over the furniture and you’ll have to clean it again. Dark coloured wooden pieces of furniture will not display this dust. But a white one will, if you examine with watchfulness. Bizarre, huh? Yes, what a damned thing. This is due to an ore powder-making factory located 7 km (I mean roughly 4 miles ) far from my house. (Skip this info if you want: I don’t know HOW it was still not closed by the state Sanitary Vigilance Secretariat. Maybe because – as the local paper informed once – it’s owned by the 5th richest guy in the world Mr. Mitral, an Indian guy who was born in a very poor electricityless home, starved in his youthhood, lived with the plague and the dirtiness, moved to England (I don’t know how), became rich, and now he seems to have revenge feelings against the world and not to care about the throwing of tons of ore powder in the airin the areas where his dozens of ore factories are located, all around the world. Damn him, he must have found really good local lawyers so he could and still can keep this factory open. Shitty guy.)

So the books I keep shelved in my room’s cabinet are always vulnerable to this disgraceful black dust and I realized that the top side of the books acquire a darker coloration trough the past of the years. I got books dated from the 70’s that were “imported” from other states or towns where there is no such dust in the air and they were equally colorized both in top and down sides. But since they were taken this city I live and stored in my pigeonholes their top sides started to acquire this unpleasant dark colour. Actually, It’s not as perceptible as I might gave the idea of. But it bothers me a lot, especially when it’s about a book that is rare or that I liked a lot.

So I ask you my great reader folks if you have any problem alike, if it’s something that happens where you live - even if in a milder way - and not only in my home town and also what I can do to avoid this problem. I’d be pleased with your help.

 

[sparkchaser]

First, I'd say keep your windows closed but that may not be feasible where you are.

I don't know your living situation so it's hard to recommend anything specific.

Are air filters an option?

I recall reading in one of Martha Stewart's books about running a curtain of sorts on each shelf and having it come down 1/2 inch or so past the shortest book in the row. It was mainly done foe aesthetics but that would help with dust accumulation.

Cabinets with door or barrister style bookcases are another thought. It's an expensive solution though.

 

[ewomack]

Whoof... that sounds nasty... if the air blackens your books that way imagine what it does to your lungs. My city does not have that problem. Mine only accumulate dust which gets obliterated with a swifter every now and then.

As mentioned above, your best bet is probably enclosed cabinets. Save those pennies. Another less attractive option is boxes. Just put away the ones you're not reading. Not fun, I know, but it will keep them in good shape.

The final option, a drastic one, is to move somewhere else, far away from the coal dust. This of course might not be feasible. But it's an option.

 

[abecedarian]

I think rather than having a short curtain on each shelf, one long curtain over the front of the whole shelf might work better and look better. I'd also consider thick curtains on the windows. I seem to remember seeing a book on various types of home storage, that recommended shelving with something like Roman Shades over the fronts to keep down the dust.

 

[bookworm fellow]

This cabinets with door idea seems interesting, maybe even expensive. But I think it would worth the money spent. Anyway, I will see if I can get glass doors in these cabinets. Anyway, it would be very weird, I think. I like to keep a nice indoor decoration and I don’t know exactly the effect this door or glass door thing would have in the room appearance. Will it become ugly or weird?? I don’t know. It’s kind of a choice I’ll have to do - what do I like the most? the books or the money and the decoration? I hate to make choices, but since the prosecuting attorney and the Sanitary Vigilance Secretariat do nothing as usual I’ll have to face it lol

[...]The final option, a drastic one, is to move somewhere else, far away from the coal dust. This of course might not be feasible. But it's an option.

I’ll do that, when I graduate. But It will take two years… lol. So unfortunately I have to try another option by now.

 

[tatyana]

a book cabinet might do.. just make sure there is no place where the dust can come in which is quite hard.

 

[BeerWench13]

Have you looked into the possibility of an electronic air cleaner? They're fairly inexpensive to install (if you already have central heating and/or air conditioning) and the filters are about $30 and only have to be replaced every 6 months or so. This would also have an excellent health advantage. As someone else said, if the air is blackening your books, imagine what it is doing to your lungs!

If central air filtration isn't an option, you can buy room filtration systems that just plug into a socket. I have one of these that I use in our "poker room" for the cigar smoke (no cigs in the house, but I just love the smell of a good cigar!) that accumulates on poker nights. They're fairly inexpensive and usually only have to be cleaned about once a month. Please, for your own health and safety, consider finding a way to clean the air in your home.

 

[abecedarian]

What you need is lawyers bookcases. The ones here were priced at $389, but if you or someone you know, is a woodworker, I bet they could be made less expensively.

 

[bookworm fellow]

Have you looked into the possibility of an electronic air cleaner? They're fairly inexpensive to install (if you already have central heating and/or air conditioning) and the filters are about $30 and only have to be replaced every 6 months or so. This would also have an excellent health advantage. As someone else said, if the air is blackening your books, imagine what it is doing to your lungs!

If central air filtration isn't an option, you can buy room filtration systems that just plug into a socket. I have one of these that I use in our "poker room" for the cigar smoke (no cigs in the house, but I just love the smell of a good cigar!) that accumulates on poker nights. They're fairly inexpensive and usually only have to be cleaned about once a month. Please, for your own health and safety, consider finding a way to clean the air in your home.

Oh thanks you're so kind!! That's a god idea. I may do a research about these devices and who knows I'll buy one. It will be good for me and my books. Maybe it would be better for my books than for me, since I spent most of the day out lol. But it's surely something I'll consider.

What you need is lawyers bookcases. The ones here were priced at $389, but if you or someone you know, is a woodworker, I bet they could be made less expensively.

Those ones look nice. I'm looking for something similar, in case the air cleaners’ idea for any reason reveals unviable.

Unfortunately I don't know any woodworker... Actually, I just realized there might be few woodworkers. I never heard of any personally. Maybe that’s why the wooden pieces are kinda expensive, because wood itself is not a hard to find or even an expensive raw matter.

 

[BeerWench13]

Maybe it would be better for my books than for me, since I spent most of the day out lol. But it's surely something I'll consider.

I understand how that goes. My hubby and I joke around all of the time that we pay the mortgage so our dog will have somewhere to live because we're never there.

 

[bookworm fellow]

I understand how that goes. My hubby and I joke around all of the time that we pay the mortgage so our dog will have somewhere to live because we're never there.

lol. That's true