Whenever I buy a used book from Amazon.com, I always choose, if possible, a copy once owned by a library. In fact, I'd much rather possess a retired library copy than a brand new copy of just about any book.Why? Three words: fun discoveries.*
Example 1. My retired library copy of Alice Munro's Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage.
Formerly owned by the Salt Lake County Library System, my cello-wrapped hardbound copy of one of Alice Munro's uniformly marvelous short-story collections came with an equally delightful surprise inside: a computer-generated checkout receipt.
The receipt shows that on the twenty-seventh instant of December 2006, at one o’clock in the afternoon, a woman named, incredibly, "JAMES, JOYCE" checked out what is now my precious tome along with three other books: When I Loved Myself Enough; Finding Peace: Letting Go and Liking It; and Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment.
Could the possibly unwary Ms. James have assumed that self-help would likewise be forthcoming from Alice Munro? I certainly hope not, because, while invariably brilliant, Alice Munro stories can be whopping downers.
Example 2. My retired library copy of Thomas Hardy's The Mayor of Casterbridge.
This sturdy little linen-bound gem came from the library of Cleveland High School, Portland, Ore. It was published by Harper & Row at some indeterminate point after 1950, as part of the Harper's Modern Classics series.
And here's the fun discovery: a pasted checkout label showing just two withdrawals—twelve years apart.
On September 30, 1964, my little red Hardy book was checked out by a Miss MaryAnn Hillstein. It then collected dust until September 8, 1976, when a Miss Vickie Peck, bless her heart, condescended to withdraw it too.
See what I mean?
* Intentional homage to American Idol.
And "Happy Birthday!" Kristin.
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Ha that would be fun to look at the checkout slip. Wow a 12 yr gap on the second book. Was it any good? Ahh the old checkout process at the Library. So many things have changed.
ReplyDeleteThanks Dad! Retired library books can also be souveniers of places lived or visited, as each has the stamp of the library that owned it. I purchase a lot of my books directly from local libraries.
ReplyDeleteO to the M G. Consider me converted! I am so totally gonna opt for old library books now.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous: I strongly recommend "The Mayor of Casterbridge." It's about a guy who sells his wife and daughter to the highest bidder when drunk out of his gourd, then swears off drink forever in remorse and goes on to become a successful businessman and respected town mayor, with a very dark secret of course. He comes unglued when his wife and grown daughter come back into his life unexpectedly. A wonderful tale.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this. The life of a book fascinates me. We saved a copy of a Wordsworth book of poetry from a used book store that was beaten up, water-stained, and has a heart-wrenching inscription from a couple in Galveston, Texas. We love to wonder if that book actually survived the Galveston hurricane. The dates are about right. :)
ReplyDeleteI love the sound of the cello-wrap, and the things you find tucked in the pages. Same reason I like old postcards...
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