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QUESTION: Anyone out there that's had any experience with the long-term effects of
sealing books up in vacuum storage bags (FoodSaver, for example)?
I'm going to be putting a lot of books into storage and it seemed like
sealing them up in these bags (approved by the FDA for food so I would
assume they won't harm paperbacks and hardcovers) to keep out moisture, etc.
would be a perfect solution.
ANSWER: I'm not familiar with these bags (beyond being aware that they exist).
I assume they don't REALLY have a vacuum inside, but most of the air
is removed so that the bag clings to the contents.
If the air pressure inside the bag actually is reduced significantly,
I'd worry that substances in the boards and binding that are stable at
atmospheric pressure will evaporate over time, and end up in parts of
the book where they aren't supposed to be.
I know that vacuum drying is used to rescue books that have been
soaked, so the vacuum, in and of itself, should not be a problem. I'd
worry about its effects over long periods of time, though.
Another problem: condensation. Whatever water vapor remains in the bag
is trapped there for good. Bag books on a cool dry day and you should
be safe. I hope. The bag machine's makers won't warn you about this
because it's intended for food storage, and food is supposed to
contain moisture.
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