Provide a Healthy Environment

There is a right way and a wrong way to store books, says Don Williams, senior conservator at the Smithsonian Institution, who was consulted on preserving such museum treasures as Archie Bunker's chair and Franklin Roosevelt's desk.

"Think of paper as a dried vegetable. Paper, especially wood pulp paper, will change color and become brittle over time," he says.

· Keep all books out of damp basements, hot attics and direct sunlight.

· Keep them away from plants because bugs like to nibble on pages and bookbinding glue.

· Reduce the stress on the spine and binding of large books by laying them on their sides (in deep shelves or on tabletops) rather than standing them upright.

· Use acid-free book boxes for long-term storage (available where home organizing products are sold); try to keep the humidity between 30 and 50 percent.

Annie Groer