You never know what you’ll find at the library, and that includes evidence of a real bookworm.
TikToker Toni (@tinycactustoni), a worker at a library, posted a video this week that now has more than 4 million views. The TikTok shows pages of a book as well as the work left by a bookworm.
No, bookworm isn’t just the name for someone who always has their nose in a book; bookworms do exist.
They aren’t typically worms but a variety of insects that feast on paper on their way to the real prize: bindings and the pastes/glues used on them. They often leave tiny tunnels behind.
@tinycactustoni #bookworms #library ♬ original sound – Toni
“I used to own a book that had a wormhole through it and I LOVED it just because of the hole!” said one commenter.
“Wait a damn minute?! you’re telling me I have to worry about worms now but my books,” said another.
Toni also shared some archival photos of bookworms and some of the work they’ve done in the past.
There are other recent TikToks that show the damage bookworms can do, though temperature control in modern buildings is a deterrent.
This might be why commenters were so shocked to learn the critters exist.
“Wait those r real?” one person wrote.
