On a special private tour in 2019, I got to walk through the massive closed stacks at the Library of Congress. I got in as many deep breaths as I could. If this scent could be bottled I would wear it as cologne. #books#bookshelves#loc#libraryofcongress#bookstodon@bookstodon
@jillrhudy@bookstodon I also know and love that smell of old books! When I was writing my dissertation, I wanted to read the original historical articles that I cited--rather than relying on someone else's interpretation (too often done). So I made appointments to spend hours in the special collections library reading 19th and early 20th century journals. I would do a nose-dive into the books and breathe deeply before starting my reading. It is an intoxicating odor that has stayed with me.
welcome to the world of the Antiquarian Bookseller.... when I was one, like you, I loved the smell of old books, not least because it offered clues about previous use...
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