A big part of a successful removal is dividing big tasks into smaller ones and making sure that each one is completed efficiently, thoroughly and as quickly as possible. Particularly important are the furniture and appliances with lots of parts, which can be tricky to dismantle, pack and move without any damage. One such item is the bookcase and bookshelves. Now, a lot of people take great pride in their library arrangements, taking painstaking care to make sure that they are organized in a way that's not only easy to navigate (such as alphabetizing books by genre and author), but also aesthetically pleasing. This is why it can be quite unpleasant having to remove everything, ruin the order and the visual arrangement and pack everything haphazardly into brown boxes. However, using a few simple techniques, you will be able to pack your collection, as well as the shelves or bookcases in a way, which will make it easier to unpack and restore the exact same arrangement later. Here's how to do it.

1. Organize, clean, separate. Take all of your books off the shelves. Wipe them with a dry cloth (or a damp one for hard covers). Then arrange them into piles according to whatever criteria you see fit. It is a good idea to separate them by genre and then alphabetize each genre by author. Another thing you might opt for is colour coordinating. Just pick the organizational scheme you want to use when arranging the books in your new location. Try to keep the different piles even-sized. If you have a lot of science fiction for example, but relatively few thrillers and romance novels, you may want to separate the sci-fi into smaller piles and separate boxes and put the thrillers and romance together.

2. Use medium size boxes or smaller ones, so that they will be easy enough to carry. Label each box with the room it is supposed to go in (to ease the removers) and with the type of books or albums it contains (to make the unpacking easier for yourself).

3. Any picture frames, souvenirs or book ends can usually be packed up in one box. Simply wrap each piece in bubble wrap and place it in the box, leaving no free space for the objects to shift, shake and bump against each other. Label the box as fragile.

4. Now it is time to take apart the bookcase and uninstall the bookshelves. For this you will need a tool kit and, ideally, the instruction manuals. While taking things apart always remember to set each individual part aside and clean it with a damp cloth before packing it away. If you're not particularly handy or good at DIY, you may want to ask a friend for help or hire a handyman. Alternatively, you may want to arrange for the removers to take apart and pack your bookshelves. If you have specific requirements for their packing or storage, do not forget to mention these early on. This will save you from trouble later.
Once all of the books and shelves are transported, you will need to unpack them. Before doing this, take a good look at your new location and decide on the most appropriate arrangement. It may not be a good idea to put everything the way it was at your own home, so reconsider. Take a few days to plan the best possible arrangement, before you begin setting up.