Tuesday 3 September 2013

Lost Property

I was on relief at another branch this weekend and had occasion to hoik out their lost property box in search of a small boy's lost 'thing.'

I came across this rather lovely collection of lost book marks - kiddies ones with clowns on, little old ladies' flowers and prayers, joyless corporate giveaways and Celtic metal ones that'd rip your page out soon as look at it. There were punishment bookmarks of stiff leather, flimsy hand-crafted affairs, notes from lovers and postcards from the past.

A colleague of mine once found a twenty pound note marking someone's place between the covers. Another swears she found a rasher of bacon.

What's the strangest thing YOU ever used as a book mark?  And can you guess what the other most common item is left in a library (apart from books, obviously?)

14 comments:

  1. Do you mean us to guess which common item is left (rather than classy items) or which object is most commonly left behind? If the latter, I'd say an umbrella. If the former, a Primark umbrella.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ah, I once again find myself syntaxically challenged!

      It is, however, of some consolation to be able to inform you that you are wrong on both counts! Ha!

      Delete
  2. Reading glasses?

    I used to work in a library, many years ago. I never found anything particularly strange in a book, though I was a bit startled to come across part of a box that had held suppositories. The part that gave instructions for use.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Correct! It always worries me how few people come back for them, too.

      Suppositories? It wasn't in a Winnie the Pooh book was it? Or Gone With The Wind?

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. On occasion, but they won't stay in the box!

      Delete
  4. I'm pretty sure I've left things behind.

    QW

    ReplyDelete
  5. Still using the red price tag for a mini Christmas Tree from two years ago as a bookmark...it's nice and bright and easy to find!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Would you believe I just lay my book, face down, on the floor?

    I tried to cultivate a book-mark habit. Not sure why that hasn't worked out yet. :-)

    Pearl

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nooooo! (Actually, I have been known to that... But don't tell anyone or I'll be drummed... er 'shushed' out of the library!)

    ReplyDelete
  8. I have been working in a library for many years and i have been seen some strange thing many times

    ReplyDelete
  9. your writing skills is seriously amazing I really appreciate your work.

    ReplyDelete