Moving to Canada, want to take my books with me, how?

[Spirallingallthetime]

I'm hopefully moving to Canada within the next 6 months, and trying to sort out the logistics.
I'll be leaving pretty much all my stuff in storage here in the UK(to be shipped at a later date if I do decide to stay in Canada, giving myself 2 years to decide).
I'll probably pay for loads of extra luggage so I can take the majority of my clothes etc on the flight over.
The one thing I do want to take over though is my collection of books.
I have several (about 30) large, hard-back/coffee-table type books on lots of different topics, and they bring me lots of joy and took a while to amass, so I'd like them with me in Canada.
What's the best way to get them sent over?
I initially assumed shipping container, but further research has suggested air freight might be better.
Any ideas?
Or is it just a matter of contacting companies and getting quotes? Guess I would need to know weights etc which is hard to figure out.

Quotes.

But why not leave them, and find a really good second hand bookshop in Canada? Or take a couple and buy some new ones?

Do you have any bathroom scales? You could put 5 or so in a sturdy bag and weigh yourself before and after? Or if you're moving you're going to need luggage scales anyway so buy a set and use those? It's an annoying job but I'm not sure it's avoidable for something like this.

When I emigrated (to Oz not Canada) I limited myself to three boxes in the shipping container. The rest I sold/gave away/donated. Thirty isn't that many, but air freight is going to cost more than sticking them in your shipping container, assuming you have one. Just weigh them and get quotes?

Find out how much your favourite books weigh, then get quotes for air freight. They won't be enough to ship by sea as you need to buy at least part of a container, I think.

Then, find out the cost of buying the same books in Canada and if it is less than the cost of shipping, buy them again and put your originals in storage.

There will be companies that organise and send small shipments. We have done similar with small loads to SE Asia. It is just a matter of googling and checking references.
Having said that, I would take half a dozen favourites, get a kindle and join a library/sign up for an online book site. 2 years will go very fast.

Take them if you can. Books, even second hand ones, are expensive in Canada

You might be able to DHL them relatively cheaply, if you can get someone to hold onto them then post them when you've got an address.

Fill up your carry on luggage with them & deposit the rest around two large suitcases as you move. You'll probably have to pay extra as you get on but it's worth it.

Displace shoes and clothes as you'll need new ones for the cold weather anyway.

Thanks all! I'll be taking all your suggestions on board; put most of it in storage and take a few of my favourites in luggage.
I already plan to pay for loads of extra suitcases for clothes etc as I don't plan on getting a shipping container, I'm not taking any furniture with me.
If I decide to stay, I'll buy somewhere over there and have it shipped over at that point.

Don’t bring a lot of clothes from the UK to Canada. The climate is very different and you will need to re-buy locally. It is -14C and quite windy in Toronto today which is fine with a Canadian coat, winter boots etc.

OP - reading this thread I wonder whether moving here is the right thing for you atm. Moving to a different country, and Canada is a different country even though English is one of the official languages, does require leaving the UK behind and starting something new. You have to leave the baggage behind,
You sound emotionally attached to a bunch of stuff. Does that attachment run deeper than coffee table books? Buying a home and then leaving it seems tough. Do you need to move now?

What an unusual thought process. She wants to bring thirty books and so she's unsuitable to emigrate.  She's taking her clothes with her so that's not 'too many'. Of course she will need some new clothes too but suggesting that she's not ready to move to Canada because she's bringing some clothes and wants to bring thirty books is an overreaction.

Usually when people emigrate they are told that they will still be the same person where ever they live in the world, not that they need to leave every thing they own behind.

When I emigrated I took a whole shipping container because it was cheaper than buying everything again.

I really hope you have checked out property prices if you intend to buy - including the extra cost for non citizens. Property prices in the big cities are incredibly expensive, and rent is too. I know a few people who have left Canada due to the cost of living there.

@FrankieDoYouRemember thank you.

I will admit that I'm definitely very attached to my 'stuff' but I also very definitely want to move to Canada. It is not something I've decided on a whim.
I am just trying to figure the most sensible thing to do with said stuff, which I have amassed over several years and don't want to just give away etc.
Yes, I know property prices/cost of living is higher in Canada. I am hoping that my salary will be enough to cover expenses, but again, I know I have to spend a few years there at least before I can make any definite decisions.

I actually disagree. For me, part of being an immigrant is hardening yourself into a less emotional bitch. It's not just the stuff you have to leave behind the first time: it's leaving behind the family and friends, the relations with whom will never be the same again; leaving behind parts of your identity and becoming just another immigrant; not being there when someone dies; not being able to take furniture when someone else clears out their house; grandparents missing children's milestones; not seeing your sibling's new house or baby until it's not new any more. I have a much better life here, but I have to choose my anchors carefully. If you can't cope without books, how will you cope without the rest?

Definitely take them! We found it quite difficult to find a decent book shop in Canada for photographic, non fiction style books

(obviously did not scout the entire country 😆 so I am sure there are some fabulous stores - just not where I was!)

Maybe OP's books are one of the anchors she can retain when the other ones you mention are lost?