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July 19, 2025

Anna Murray 

Approximately 100,000 handbound books are being carefully removed from their shelves and placed in crates by restoration workers. Killing the microscopic beetles that have burrowed into books is the goal of a disinfection procedure.

In Hungary, tens of thousands of centuries-old books are being removed from the shelves of a medieval abbey in a desperate effort to protect them from a beetle infestation that threatens to erase centuries of history.

Pannonhalma Archabbey, a prominent Benedictine monastery founded in 996, has a history spanning 1,000 years. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the oldest educational institutions in Hungary.

The beetle invasion was initially discovered during a routine cleaning of the library. The books, which contain gelatin and starch-based adhesives, attract the drugstore beetle, also known as the bread beetle, which is commonly found in dry foods like flour, spices, and grains.

Approximately 100,000 handbound books are being meticulously removed from their shelves and placed in crates by restoration workers. The disinfection procedure aims to eliminate the microscopic beetles that have burrowed into the books.