Protecting valuable books, cover to cover
Sometimes a book is more than just a book. Sometimes it’s a rare and valuable collectible.
If you have a collectible book—or several—in your possession, you should care for and treat it like you would any valuable. In short, keep it safe, keep a record of it, keep its value up to date and keep it adequately insured.
Consider climate controls
To preserve the quality of your collectible books, consider installing climate controls in your home or library. Extreme temperature fluctuations and too much humidity can damage books, so be sure to store them away from air vents and in a stable environment. The recommended humidity level for valuable books is between 40%-55%.
Store them away from direct light
Too much light—natural or manmade—can cause the cover and print to fade, which can greatly affect value.
Keep them to themselves
Rare books should not be handled frequently and should not be stored on a bookshelf with your other, non-collectible books, as they may be mistakenly removed. If possible, store the most fragile and valuable books in hermetically sealed cases or glass front cabinets, and protect individual books with acid free covers.
Maintain an inventory
Rare books should be carefully inventoried. Note the author, title, edition, condition and any other pertinent information about the book. Take digital photos of the book and store back-up copies of the inventory along with invoices, appraisals or other provenance documentation.
Appraise them regularly
Just like fine art and other collectibles, rare books should be appraised regularly. A good rule is to have new appraisals done every three to five years. This may be important if you have an insurable loss.
Consider valuables insurance
Finally, don’t assume your homeowners policy will provide sufficient coverage for a loss. Insure your rare books with a valuable articles policy that is structured to provide the best coverage for your fine art and collectibles.
This document is advisory in nature and is offered as a resource to be used together with your professional insurance advisors in maintaining a loss prevention program. It is an overview only and is not intended as a substitute for consultation with your insurance broker, or for legal, engineering or other professional advice.
Chubb is the marketing name used to refer to subsidiaries of Chubb Limited providing insurance and related services. For a list of these subsidiaries, please visit our website at chubb.com. Insurance provided by ACE American Insurance Company and its U.S. based Chubb underwriting company affiliates. All products may not be available in all states. This communication contains product summaries only. Coverage is subject to the language of the policies as actually issued. Surplus lines insurance sold only through licensed surplus lines producers. Chubb, 202 Hall's Mill Road, Whitehouse Station, NJ 08889-1600.
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