title: Are public library books contaminated by bacteria?
abstract: The microbial flora on the surfaces of 15 books obtained from a public library and from 15 books obtained from a family household were studied. Staphylococcus epidermidis was recovered from 4 of the library books and 3 of the family household books. The number of organisms per page was between one to four. This data illustrates the safety of using library books, as they do not serve as a potential source of transmission of virulent bacteria.
authors.affiliation: C. E. Smith Jewish Day School Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Brook
mesh_terms: D001877:Books; D004866:Equipment Contamination; D006794:Household Articles; D007990:Libraries; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000302:isolation & purification*