E-readers might be convenient, but they’ll never have that comforting old book smell. It turns out that the smell of old books is due to the organic materials in books (like cellulose from wood pulp) reacting with light, heat and water, and over time releasing volatile organic compounds or VOCs. What VOCs are released depends on how the book was made and stored, but common scents are toluene or ethylbenzene, which smell sweet, benzaldehyde or furfural, which smell almond-like, or vanillin, which smells like- you guessed it- vanilla. Book VOCs are even being used to date old books, as the rate at which they break down can be used to determine the age of some old tomes. @AdaMcVean
The Chemistry Behind the Smell of Old Books
Let's preserve rational thinking when it comes to preservatives
Why Do Books Smell So Good?
This is why old book smell so good
Candles: What do they emit when lit?
The King of Fruits Needs a Deodorant Office for Science and Society - McGill University
Why Do Old Books Smell?
Here's Jeopardy! Office for Science and Society - McGill University
That “Old Book Smell” Is a Mix of Grass and Vanilla
The Story of Perfume Office for Science and Society - McGill
Can This Smell Relieve Nausea? Office for Science and Society
Bad Science - Legacy Tobacco Documents Library
There is a connection between TNT, the male musk deer, and your perfume
Why Do Old Books Smell So Good? – ScienceSwitch