The oft-quoted bookworm is by no means a pest: it devours books only in a gurative sense and appropriates their content without touching their substance. Certain types of microbe on the other hand are not so benevolent. They really are capable of devouring books, or at least of permanently damaging them – to the point of destruction. This is no abstract risk but rather a danger faced by any library or archive. The moulds and mould spores present in the air nd paper and the glues used for binding books an ideal breeding ground. The unhappy consequence is that the paper is damaged and the book becomes unusable unless expensive restoration work is carried out. This fate can be prevented by having the mould professionally treated. The Zentrum für Bucherhaltung (ZFB) in Leipzig specialises in

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