June 11, 2008
Found in Old Books
If only the metadata accompanying e-texts were as interesting as that found in used books!
Online bookseller AbeBooks.com recently asked its vendors about the strangest things they’ve found in used books. The list will surprise you: a Christmas card from L. Frank Baum, a Mickey Mantle rookie card, a diamond ring, a strip of bacon, $40,000, a World War II U.S. ration book, and even “a holographic image of a lady who sheds her clothing,” among other items.
Surely similar items have turned up in collections bequeathed to academic libraries around the country. What strange things have you found in your library’s old books?—Catherine Rampell
Posted on Wednesday June 11, 2008 | Permalink |Comments
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When I attended the same Univ that my Dad had 30 years earlier, he told me to go check out his dissertation. I did and found a $10 bill inside! I called him and told him. He had forgotten that — when he had recently earned his doctorate — he had placed that bill in the library’s copy of his dissertation, just to see if anyone ever read those things. 30 years later, it was still in there. I initialed it, replaced it, and returned the book.
— UGA Grad Jun 11, 08:22 PM #
I bought an old copy (I believe it’s a first edition) of The Shining at a yard sale once. Thumbing through the book the next day I found, much to my surprise, Stephen King’s autograph.
— Curt Jun 12, 08:05 AM #
In a library copy of Rainer Maria Rilke’s book, the Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, I found a prayer card of St. Dymphna, who is the Irish patron saint of mental illness. It seemed significant to me, so I kept the card when I returned the book…
— Taryn Jun 12, 08:39 AM #
I remember checking out a book from the library when I was a teenager, and finding someone’s day pass from a nearby mental hospital.
— Linda Jun 12, 08:56 AM #
I have found wonderful and amazing things in old books, and that’s just talking about what’s printed on the page.
For some reason, I’m reminded of a science fiction story, from the ’50s I think, called “The Crate at Outpost Nine.” It’s only a few pages long, and it’s definitely worth looking up.
— Dan Jun 12, 09:19 AM #
I once found some pornographic magazines tucked inside some very dry old scholarly bound journals!
— Dee Jun 12, 09:59 AM #
I recently picked up my original copy of The Last Whole Earth Catalog — not an extremely old book, of course — but in it I found one of my own handwritten notes dating from about 1972, soon after I first obtained the book. The note was a list of items in the catalog that I had found interesting at the time, a sort of personal time capsule for an inquisitive 15 year old. Although I never ordered those items from the catalog, I was surprised to learn that I had indeed obtained most of them over the years since.
— Bill Jun 12, 10:33 AM #
In an archive of 17th C Italian letters, I found a note from Lady Orsini laced with some kind of white powdery substance unrecognizable to the archive’s staff. I like to imagine it was some kind of illicite substance of leisure.
— TL Jun 12, 10:48 AM #
I checked out a book and in it I found a postcard I had sent from Europe to a friend of mine 5 years prior.
— Beth Jun 12, 11:20 AM #
Dan, I found an online reference to the short story “The Crate at Outpost 1” by Matthew Gant. I’m intrigued, but it looks like I’ll have to buy it on Abe or Ebay. Wonder what else I’ll find in the book?
— Kate Jun 12, 01:52 PM #
I’ve found all sorts of odd things in returned books at my academic library. One notable discovery was a set of steamy love notes between two of our patrons (each married to someone else!)…infidelity in the stacks…
— Kungfu Librarian Jun 12, 02:00 PM #
Two comments:
1. My library has “The Crate at Outpost 1” by D. S. Davis in Alfred Hitchcock Presents My Favorites in Suspense (c. 1959).
2. We found a Polaroid of a naked man with an erection wearing cowboy boots. The photo cut off the head.
— Susan Jun 12, 09:07 PM #
Good to read those experiences.
— Margarita Jun 12, 11:49 PM #
I found this note tucked in a book at our home library. It was in my father’s hand, who had passed away two years earlier. It read “Promissary Note- I promise to pay Rs 120 to Asha (that’s my kid sister) in order for her to buy a dress and me peace of mind.” It was dated and signed. My sister must have been about 8 years old at the time. It reminded me of his great sense of humor.
— Jyotsna Jun 13, 09:17 AM #
The best surprise I’ve ever had when ordering an out of print book occurred two years ago. The book is “The Jingle Bell Principle” by the terrific Czech poet Miroslav Holub and much to my amazement it was autographed. There was no mention of this on the site I ordered it from and due to how affordable it was, I’m certain that the seller was either not aware of this fact or didn’t realize how important Holub was.
— Scott Jun 14, 05:39 PM #
I checked out a book during my college senior year and was surprised to find a letter inside, addressed to me and from my mother. Apparently I had checked out the book four years earlier as a freshman and used my mother’s letter as a bookmark.
— Carmela Jun 16, 01:06 PM #