Old books have a very characteristic smell, and it reveals extremely important information

The older the book is, the clearer it is. Where does it come from, and what does it reveal?

We all know that the older the treasure, the more valuable it is. Books are a treasure of humanity, so it is no exception.

Books are stored for dozens, hundreds of years, not only valuable in terms of knowledge, but also bring about an unrecognizable historical value.

Old books have a very characteristic smell.

But if you are a book-loving person, working hard at going to the library, you will probably recognize old books that have a very specific smell . As Matija Strlic - a scholar at University College London (UK) once shared, that smell "is a combination of musty odor, vanilla, almonds . mixed with some acid" . It sounds terrible but irresistible, because it "is like a part of the book's specific content, cannot be mistaken nor denied".

There is something, where does that smell come from? The secret lies in the hundreds of volatile organic compounds (volatile organic compound - abbreviated as VOC) - which are impregnated in paper, ink, and adhesives. Over time, VOCs gradually disintegrate, releasing quite a " chemical " of the chemical and characteristic of old books.

In fact, each book will have a different smell, because it depends on the amount of VOC used when making the book. According to a survey from a printing company, books with almonds are made from benzaldehyde, sweet odors from toluene or ethyl benzene, and floral notes are caused by 2-ethyl hexanol.

The experienced librarian can "sniff" and realize which books are seriously damaged.

In addition, the smell of old books sometimes comes from factors that cannot be avoided over time: the smell of smoke, mold, or the smell of dry pressed flowers placed between pages.

But what's important about this smell?

This is the ability to only have long and experienced librarians: they can "smell" and realize which books are seriously damaged.

This skill is very necessary, because those books will need to be more carefully protected, or copied as soon as possible. According to a study published in 2009 Analytical Chemistry magazine, there are about 15 VOC compounds decomposing at a faster rate than usual, so be careful.