Musty Scratch'N'Sniff For PCs

Don’t you love the way a new book smells? CafeScribe’s new invention takes scratch and sniff to a whole new level! A recent survey of college students found that the quality they most enjoyed about physical textbooks was their smell, so the company developed the world’s first smelly e-book.

Beginning in September, CafeScribe will begin sending a scratch & sniff sticker with every e-textbook purchase, in none other than the classic, musty “old book” smell.

The company reported, “In a survey of 600 college students 43% identified smell –- either new book smell or old—as the thing they most love about books as physical objects. A majority (62%) also preferred purchasing used textbooks over new or electronic textbooks, despite the fact that e-textbooks are generally a third less expensive than used textbooks.”

In an attempt to win over skeptical college students, CaféScribe.com today announced plans to launch the world’s first smelly e-book. CaféScribe.com CEO Bryce Johnson says that beginning in the back-to-school month of September the company will send every e-textbook purchaser a scratch & sniff sticker with a certifiably musty “old book” smell.

“Students who use CaféScribe download our software to read and annotate e-textbooks and other documents on their laptops,” explains Johnson. “By placing these stickers on their computers they can give their e-books the same musty book smell they know and love from used textbooks – without any of the residual DNA you sometimes find stuck to the pages of used textbooks.”

30% of students said they loved the “mustiness” of their books and 16% associated them with the scent of “freshly-ground coffee.” The majority of students associated positive smells with books such as just-cut grass or hot, fresh cookies versus sweat, grease or mildew.

The survey was conducted in response to student apprehension to move from paper books to e-books. It would be environmentally beneficial if schools switched to e-books, saving a lot of trees in the process.

Maybe adding delicious smells is the secret!