{"id":94506,"date":"2013-06-19T10:26:36","date_gmt":"2013-06-19T15:26:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/2013\/06\/19\/the-science-of-the-smell-of-books\/"},"modified":"2024-04-14T04:13:02","modified_gmt":"2024-04-14T09:13:02","slug":"the-science-of-the-smell-of-books","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/internet\/2013\/06\/19\/the-science-of-the-smell-of-books\/","title":{"rendered":"The science of \u201cthe smell of books\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cAge appears to be best in four things\u2014old wood best to burn, old wine to drink, old friends to trust, and old authors to read.\u201d (<\/i>Source<\/i><\/a>)<\/i><\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

\"Majority<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Discarded<\/a>
By Kerry Mansfield. From “Discarded Books, Recovered Nostalgia” – New York Times<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n\n

Last year I wrote about the smell of books<\/a>, and the peculiar attachment that even e-book readers often have to that particular physical property. Today I ran across a post on Smithsonian Magazine\u2019s blog<\/a> that delves deeper into the science behind print\u2019s smell:<\/p>\n\n

As a book ages, the chemical compounds used\u2014the glue, the paper, the ink\u2013begin to break down. And, as they do,\u00a0they release volatile compounds\u2014the source of the smell. A common smell of old books,\u00a0says the\u00a0International League for Antiquarian Booksellers,\u00a0is a hint of vanilla: \u201cLignin, which is present in all wood-based paper, is closely related to vanillin. As it breaks down, the lignin grants old books that faint vanilla scent.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

[a]<\/p>\n\n\n

Update:<\/strong> The New York Times’s Lens blog<\/a> has a beautiful slideshow of old discarded library books (above):<\/p>\n\n

. . . [W]hile books may not necessarily make for a better reading experience, they are superior as subject matter for a photo project. (I defy you, dear reader, to find a loving portrait of a Nook.)<\/p>\n

To wit, witness Kerry Mansfield\u2019s \u201cExpired,\u201d a series whose substance is the physicality of discarded and withdrawn library books. She brings the lens in close, showing worn edges and torn covers and photographing the ephemera of the library experience: the check-out cards and the paper pockets they went into, for example. She includes beloved titles like Harper Lee\u2019s \u201cTo Kill a Mockingbird\u201d and Dr. Seuss\u2019s \u201cHop on Pop,\u201d but also obscure ones like Evelyn Sibley Lampman\u2019s \u201cThe Shy Stegosaurus of Cricket Creek.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n

In addition to some gorgeous photography, it includes this challenge: “I defy you, dear reader, to find a loving portrait of a Nook.” Dear readers, if you find such portraits, please let us know<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n

Do you love\u2014or hate\u2014the smell of old print books? If you read e-books, how does the experience of e-reading compare to reading in print? Head on over to our Facebook page<\/a> and let us know!<\/i><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Scientists delve deeper into the science behind print books’ distinctive 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