Seaside Library

Six years ago I wrote an article about common and unusual things people used to hold their place in a book or bookmark their books. Surprisingly bacon, especially raw bacon, was often used by people across the United States to hold their place in a library book.

Another common or not so common bookmark was money. I’ve found money in books a few times myself and only one time was able to track down the owner. It’s usually a $1 or $20 bill. Before you go hunting through books in the Seaside Library for money, beware. A library in Indiana a few years ago discovered someone had put an entire taco in a book they returned as a bookmark, it had been squished so flat you couldn’t even tell the taco was there until opened.

Unfortunately of course, this ruined the book. Why do people do this? It’s something that shows that books, printed books and especially library books, people treat as part of their own lives so organically that they do not think about the fact they do not own this book or that it should be treated special because it has to last a long time for other library users to read as well.

Books are placed upside down on things, pages are bent, and food is eaten over them. I’ve lost track of the candy I’ve found in books, one was even inside the jacket cover sealed inside a picture book which I’m still not sure how the child even got it in there. How many water damaged books have libraries seen because they were dropped in the tub or had coffee, water, etc., spilled on them while reading?

The experience of reading a book is often integrated into someone’s life in such a way that they “multitask” while reading. I often read a book while walking on a treadmill for example. People listen to audiobooks while driving, walking, or running.

Books go to the beach, on vacation, or wherever a person goes including (literally) the bathroom which we really don’t want to think about too much. When I worked at a school library I had a child tell me they forgot to return a book because it was being used to prop up their bed up so they forgot where it was.

This doesn’t even get into the realm of pets and people putting books where their pets can reach them. Dog chew on books, cats and dogs both pee on books (no we don’t keep those), and the list of things done to the poor much abused book goes on and on.

Perhaps one of the most unusual finds ever in a book according to a Washington Post article written in 2003, was a librarian who discovered an enveloped labeled “vaccine scabs” placed in a book from the 1880s by a doctor. They were believed to be scabs to inoculate again smallpox. The FBI retrieved the scabs and they are currently waiting for analysis at a lab.

Yet in spite of all of the above, we librarians do our very best to keep our collection free of the sticky, gross, and water damaged books. I’m amazed how many people forget that library books are used by many people over many years so care and consideration of other users should always be kept in mind.

Every library book is an investment that is shared and used multiple times. Some library books check out over 100 times. This is why libraries try so hard to repair and keep library books in good condition. It’s also why we want to collect those pesky lost or damaged book fines.

So next time you do something to a book, please own it and pay the fee for damage or replacing the book so we can have nice fresh books in the library for everyone to share. Also, please think twice before putting your taco, raw bacon, or smallpox vaccine scabs in a book as well. Imagine touching a book with mysterious gross substances on it that you don’t even want to know where they came from. Nobody wants to touch that book. We also offer free complimentary bookmarks at the front desk of the library. Please take as many as you need, as often as you need them, for the sake of the books.

Every library book is an investment that is shared and used multiple times.