Safe to store books/papers in a damp shed if they are in plastic crates, each encased in say 10 plastic bags?

Answer 1

All books outside in sheds get ruined. That's the facts. Where do you live ? I live on a coastal desert with morning fog. That ruins books stored outside a home. Both moisture and breeding insects are the culprints. Eventually those books stored in the shed --- even if wrapped in plastic and inside a plastic container --- will stink of mildew and be full page after page of the no-seeum type bugs that bite you on the nose when you read the books. Seriously, on old books what makes you sneeze is the dust of dead insect bodies on neglected pages. It's a misery. Final Word: the damp shed is not a good choice. What else can you do? There is always a Plan B and Plan C. Maybe...you should sell or give them away. I'll bet you could sort them down to 25 keepers. Books are cheap at yard sales and when you can have shelves indoors again, you can re-build your library.

Answer 2

Put some dessicant in the plastic bags before you seal them and they should be ok. It will help keep the inside of the bags dry. Foil lined plastic bags work the best, since foil is not porous like plastic. The foil will also help to keep bugs out. Surround the bags with mothballs to keep mice away.

I'm a packaging engineer, so I do this for a living.