You are here: Home > Resources > Ask John! > John Weighs In > How do I remove mold from my books and how can I prevent books from becoming moldy?

Dear John: We are building a new house and are fortunate to include a library. The past few days I have begun to pack up books in anticipation of our move. I was absolutely astonished to find what I am sure is a quarter-size area of mold along the top edge of one book and a few questionable speckles along the top edge of the book next to it. I really don't understand how this could happen because I take good care of my books. I also think our air conditioning should help keep mold from attacking my books. So, my primary question is can you tell me how to remove the mold and save the books? And a secondary question, what can I do in the future to better protect my books? Thank you, Judy Virginia Replies: Hi Judy, Laura did some searching and found this link for you. You will find excellent instructions on how to treat moldy books and how to prevent books from becoming moldy on Cornell University's Library Preservation and Conservation web page at: http://www.library.cornell.edu/preservation/librarypreservation/mee/management/mold.html Virginia Ask John at: [email protected] Read articles about book collecting Read John's answers to book collecting questions Receive our Book Collecting PDFs and newsletters Sign up for our Book Club Follow us on Twitter Follow us on Facebook Watch our Videos