Friday, June 12, 2009

bookscents

When I tell people where I work, I hear so often, "Oh! I would love to work in a library. I love that old book smell."

I'm sure this will spoil lots of bibliophile fantasies and I'm sorry for it, but honestly - excluding special "old book" collections, there is no old book smell in most public libraries. The smell here fluctuates between sinus-searing levels of cleaning product, the general odor of human beings (believe me - there's a reason we're sometimes referred to as "The Great Unwashed"), and an occasional bout of break room related scents like "oh no, who burnt the popcorn/is eating kimchee/left the coffeepot on overnight/brought fish sticks for lunch?"

But if you're really craving that smell, I'd suggest you either go back to say, the 800s, crack open an old poetry tome, stick your nose in between the pages for a good whiff, visit a used book store or use this air "freshener." They even offer a bacon scent, proving once again that everything - even books - is better with bacon.

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Or try the Long Room at Trinity College in Dublin...

Crucis said...

All through college, I worked in a 9 story university library (my wife has a degree in lib sci) and I can tell you the only smell I can remember is a musty one that made me sneeze. Open stacks or those it back, it made no difference. If I spent more than a few minutes amongst the stacks, it was "sniff...sniff...CHOO!"

Mike W. said...

I wonder if they offer a Hoppes #9 scent?

Oswald Bastable said...

Second-hand bookshops are the place for 'the smell'

Old NFO said...

I just remember the musty smell and sneezing a lot... sorry...

Top of the Chain said...

I'm old enough to remember the card catalog. And the library I used to frequent is right down the road from Hodgon's & The Bullet Hole.

Sevesteen said...

Before it moved, our local library (supporting a town of 20k) had the old book smell, and rarely homeless.

The library is now in a beautifully restored old hotel, and is as much a free internet cafe as a library.

Stretch said...

Why women wear flower or musk scent when we men will follow the smell of pot roast or meatloaf is beyond me.
And a woman who smells like bacon? That's perfection!!

Joanna said...

I always associated the musty smell with specific books, not the library itself. The first book I noticed it with was "The Moffats" by Eleanor Estes. I think I was eight. I've loved it ever since.

Anonymous said...

I bought a second or third-hand copy of "Comanche - Lords of the South Plains" recently and oh, does it have that old-book perfume! A little yeasty, a touch of must and a lot of memories when I opened the book.
LittleRed1

WV: reepardi. Watching 'The Leopard" over and over? (subtitled, of course)