Although the interest in physical books is gradually decreasing with digital readers, there are still those who prefer physical books. According to one study, it seems likely that the smell of old books plays a role in their appreciation.
The smell of old books finds its place in stories and poems. It is also used to help determine the condition of a skin. The volatile organic compounds that give fragrance to old books can be sampled to identify those that, although not damaged, need extra conservation efforts. Professor Matija Strlič of University College London is a leader in this underrated field and author of the majority of articles on the subject.
Strlič and co-authors described a series of volatile compounds produced by the time breakdown of the resin in the ink and lignin on paper in their paper “Material Degradomics”. The study states that the paper produces acetic acid, which is the key ingredient in vinegar.
Strlič suggested in a later paper that certain scents could be considered cultural heritage and used the historic paper scent as a case study. Maybe that’s why it’s hardly surprising that Strlič uses language when talking about books, as if describing a variety of wine or coffee.
What all the ingredients Strlič mentions have in common is that their interaction at varying concentrations produces a much more subtle scent than the more common scents dominated by one or two molecules.
Compound Chemistry reports six molecules commonly found in old books (acetic acid is not among them) and shows how much variation there can be. Among these compounds are Vanillin, named after the spice it helps taste, and benzaldehyde, which gives it its almond scent.
One of these compounds, toluene, is also used as an inhalant with euphoric properties, in a way familiar to bibliophiles, although it is often considered highly unpleasant as a paint thinner and the dominant odor in permanent markers.
While overuse of toluene has many serious side effects, no one has so far reported an overdose from spending a long time with old books.
The new books don’t smell the same, partly because their components are less degraded, partly because we’ve used paper with lower lignin content over the past century. The ingredients (and fragrance) a book has will vary depending on when it was written and which ingredients were used.
Mentioned articles have been published on ACS Sensors, Analytical Chemistry, and Heritage Science.
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