Why Do Old Books Smell?

Ever noticed that pretty much every used bookstore in the world smells the same? I've been to a bazillion of them across the U.S and in England. And sure enough, sniff, sniff, ahhh. There's a certain lovable mustiness that tickles my nose. What's up with that?


I'm no science geek, but never fear. My hubby is. He sent me a link that does a great job of explaining why old books smell. Check out this handy dandy explanation by AbeBooks.