Bibliosmia or Stinky Books? + Giveaway

If you’re a reader, chances are you love to browse through stacks of books at garage sales, thrift stores, and used/collectible bookstores.

When you walk into a bookstore that specializes in collectible and vintage books, there’s this smell.

I once thought that scent was a combination of the ink and the paper, but it’s more than that.

Paper is made from organic material, remember? This organic material contains lignin which is a constituent of the cell walls of almost all dry land plants.

In fact, it’s the second most abundant natural polymer in the world. (Cellulose is the first.) The break down of lignin in the paper is what gives old books that aroma which many liken to a faint vanilla smell.

In 2009, a study that analyzed the smell of old books found that the scene was a complex mix of hundreds of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released into the air from the paper. Dust and other particulates in the book’s life add to the smell “cocktail.”

Just so you’ll know, new books smell the way they do because of the chemicals used in their manufacture.

Ah, Bibliosmia

According to the Urban Dictionary, bibliosmia is the effect an old book has on one’s olfactory receptors when you inhale that aroma.

Some people think it’s wonderful. Some think it smells musty. I guess smell is in the nose of the inhaler.

Smelly Books

Of course, there are books that really do smell horrible. Those drenched in stale cigarette smoke or other unsavory scents. If you find a book you simply must have, there’s a way to get rid of the bad smell. Stale cigarette smoke is really hard to get out so you might want to pass up a bargain that’s strongly scented in that way.

How to Deodorize a Book

I read this long ago in the old Hints from Heloise newspaper column. It’s very simple. Sprinkle baking soda through the book.

1. Sprinkle baking soda throughout the book–try to get some on every page.

2. Place the book in a Ziplok bag and leave it for at least a week.

3. Remove it from the bag, shake the baking powder out and sniff the book. If it still smells, repeat the process. If the book is really smelly, you may have to leave it for a longer period of time and/or repeat the process a few times.

NOTE: Do not use baking soda on a valuable antique book or a damp book because it might harm the old paper.

NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY ~ Today’s question: Do you love to browse old book stores? Answer the question in Comments to be entered in the November Giveaway.

See details at the top of the left sidebar.

Takeaway Truth

A bargain book is only a bargain if it pleases all the senses.