# How unsanitary ARE library books? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 8, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973 "2013-07-08T20:57:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![souper234](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e19b73/32.png) [@souper234](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/souper234)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/1 "2013-07-08T20:57:06Z")
My grandmother used to cringe when we’d bring them home, then reach for the handiwipes. How right (or wrong) was she? Could a librarian or kindly Doper set me straight? ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/2 "2013-07-08T21:04:53Z")
Not a librarian, but . . . I’d stay away from anything containing nudes. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/3 "2013-07-08T21:09:43Z")
According to [this article](http://universe.byu.edu/2011/12/04/dirty-library-books/), probably pretty dirty, but the less widely circulated books are significantly cleaner than the more popular ones, for obvious reasons. However, the article points out that the library door handle, as I would expect of _any_ public door handle, is teeming with bacteria. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/4 "2013-07-08T21:14:45Z")
From the neurotically germophobic point of view, no doubt they are pretty dirty. From any reasonably rational perspective, unless you are a bubble boy, they are fine. Really, how often do you hear about epidemics spread by library books? Ever? ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/5 "2013-07-08T21:31:56Z")
**njtt** is essentially right. Library books are gross, but harmless. If they are actually contaminated they are tossed immediately… which happens more than I’ll describe here. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/6 "2013-07-08T21:46:27Z")
This from people who think it’s fine to swig beer and cola from a can. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/7 "2013-07-08T21:54:18Z")
[QUOTE=njtt] Really, how often do you hear about epidemics spread by library books? Ever? [/QUOTE] Oh no, there might be an epidemic of learning! Nah, it’ll never happen. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2013, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/8 "2013-07-08T22:10:55Z")
Well if \*The Name of the Rose \*can be used as an object lesson–just don’t lick your fingers to help turn pages. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/9 "2013-07-09T02:29:58Z")
As an actual public librarian, I can’t speak for the books but I’ve caught pinkeye and ringworm at the liberry. My first few years. Now I am immune to everything including evil space herpes-syphilis. (Really, I can’t remember the last time I caught a regular contagious thing; I get sinus infections from my allergies. Also I can’t really smell anything gross unless it’s very strong.) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/10 "2013-07-09T03:24:39Z")
I worked in the campus library for four years as an undergrad. Although it was in the Microforms and Periodicals Department, we still had to handle a lot of bound volumes, and our fingers were always turning black from those alone, not just the newspapers and such. In the private library the wife and I subscribe to here in Bangkok, many of the books are ancient and falling apart – I often have to implement some basic home repairs on them – and many are just plain filthy. More than a few even have blood stains on some pages! ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 10:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/11 "2013-07-09T10:10:59Z")
I’ll take regular old unsanitary every day over library books that reek of cigarette smoke. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 10:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/12 "2013-07-09T10:26:29Z")
I wouldn’t eat one. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 10:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/13 "2013-07-09T10:47:57Z")
Your Granny was an unreasonable germophobe, I point and laugh at people with bottles of hand sanitiser. ---
**Author:** ![Bert\_Nobbins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bert\_Nobbins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bert_Nobbins)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/14 "2013-07-09T15:03:49Z")
A data point: in England in the 1950’s, it was standard practice to sterilise library books if they were being returned by someone with a contagious disease. (In Suffolk, anyway) It was up to you to tell the library that the books had been exposed to chicken-pox or worse. I don’t know how they sterilised them- dry heat, perhaps? ---
**Author:** ![Bert\_Nobbins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/aeb1de/32.png) [@Bert\_Nobbins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bert_Nobbins)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/15 "2013-07-09T15:05:53Z")
> [@Novelty\_Bobble](#): > > Your Granny was an unreasonable germophobe, I point and laugh at people with bottles of hand sanitiser. I assume you have never had norovirus. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 3:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/16 "2013-07-09T15:07:45Z")
> [@Bert\_Nobbins](#): > > I assume you have never had norovirus. …and neither have most regular library users… ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/17 "2013-07-09T17:48:39Z")
> [@Bert\_Nobbins](#): > > I assume you have never had norovirus. Probably not, possibly due to having a robust immune system. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/18 "2013-07-09T18:29:18Z")
Yeah, seriously, don’t worry about them _that_ much. I’ve never caught anything serious from the library and I promise you I touch it more than you do. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/19 "2013-07-09T19:48:48Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I wouldn’t eat one. To be extra safe, don’t lick any, either. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2013, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973/20 "2013-07-09T20:59:13Z")
As a child, I collected stamps, which had passed through people’s dirty hands and got licked in every country in the world, all over Africa, Asia and South America, back when people still got things like polio and syphilis. I often re-licked a hinge on the back of them myself. I never heard of a stamp collector getting sick. The easiest thing on earth to do is to frighten an American. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-unsanitary-are-library-books/662973.md?page=2)