Hungary Abbey Battles Beetle Infestation

The Pannonhalma Archabbey in Hungary is undertaking a massive effort to save approximately 100,000 centuries-old books from a severe drugstore beetle infestation. The abbey, a World Heritage Site and one of Hungary's oldest centers of learning, is removing the handbound volumes from its library shelves for a disinfection process. This involves placing the books in hermetically sealed sacks with a pure nitrogen environment for six weeks to eradicate the beetles, which are attracted to the gelatin and starch-based adhesives in the books. Zsofia Edit Hajdu, the chief restorer, noted the unprecedented degree of infection. Ilona Asvanyi, the library director, emphasized the cultural and historical significance of the collection, which includes 13th-century Bibles and pre-printing press manuscripts. The abbey suspects that rising temperatures due to climate change have contributed to the accelerated lifecycle and spread of the beetles. The library hopes to reopen early next year, with damaged books set aside for future restoration.