"Perhaps I can offer some tips for Adrian Gonzales regarding his request for information on book storage. ('E-Sylum v4#11, March 11. 2001.

If a book has a dust jacket, particular care should be taken to preserve it. Often, the dust jacket is the most valuable part of a rare book, sometimes as much as 80% of the book's value. There are two dust jacket protectors that I can recommend, those made by Brodart and Demco. In my opinion, the Brodart product is of better quality, and easier to use. Brodart Co. may be reached toll free at (800) 233-8467.

They come in many sizes, clear harder plastic on one side, and acid-free white paper on the other. Many booksellers offer them, particularly dealers of used and rare books. A standard size dust jacket protector that will fit most new novels should cost about 60 cents. After adding this, the book may be placed in a plastic bag, and taped tight. These bags are often sold in several sizes by many comic book sellers.

For the better books, there are several individuals that will make a custom slipcase for the book. They can be made in a "slip-in", or "clamshell" design. Cost for these vary from $40 to $120, depending on the size, material, gold leaf lettering for the title, etc. I was fortunate to acquire a first edition of 'Early American Cents' by Dr. William H. Sheldon. I do not refer to this book, using a reprinted edition instead. This is an excellent example of a book that would be stored for years. The plastic bag will keep out most of the moisture, and the slipcase will protect the cover from fading if exposed to sunlight."