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How many moving boxes will your books need?
Published by Carton Atlas
Pack a representative group in the box you plan to use and measure the shelf length it freed. Divide the occupied length of similar shelves by that sample length and round up. Make a second test for anything much heavier or taller, such as art books or binders.
Build a sample you could actually move
Choose a small, sound carton and a mix of sizes from one part of your collection. Pack it so books cannot shift and corners sit within the box. Follow the carton rating and your mover’s limits. Stop when the box is manageable for the person handling it, even if there is room above the books. The usable capacity of the books box is what that trial establishes.
Measure the shelf you just cleared
Measure where the books stood side by side, with gaps and bookends excluded. Suppose the sample cleared 21 in. The remaining similar shelves hold 63 occupied inches. You started with 84 in total, and 84 ÷ 21 gives four cartons including the one already packed. If you record only the 63 in still on the shelf, that calculation gives three more cartons.
Now suppose an oversized group occupies another 26 in and its separate sample clears 10 in. Plan three cartons for that group, bringing the example total to seven. Mixing the oversized group into the first calculation would hide the reason its boxes run short.
Leave a note beside the count
Write the measured length, box size and test group on the supply list. If later shelves contain a different mix, mark the point where the estimate stops applying. Long sets can be kept in order by writing a range on each numbered carton, such as volumes 1–8. Recheck the count once the first full shelf is packed.