We love sharing stories that bring a smile to your face, and a recent piece from NPR about a fortunate librarian caught our attention. Sometimes, exploring forgotten items can be a delightful experience, especially when they offer a peek into someone else's life. Even the tiniest discoveries can feel like treasures. In Oakland, California, librarian Sharon McKellar of the Oakland Public Library has been curating a collection of items found tucked inside returned books.
You might be surprised at the variety of things left behind in library books. While it’s easy to imagine bookmarks or Post-it notes marking a page, McKellar has unearthed some truly fascinating finds. Alongside everyday items like tags and receipts, her collection also includes unique gems that are sure to warm your heart. To share these treasures and allow their owners the chance to reclaim them, she created a dedicated page on the library’s website.
It’s a bit hard to fathom why someone would want certain items, like an old dental report or a Southwest Airlines luggage tag. However, some discoveries are undeniably priceless, such as vintage family photographs and heartfelt love notes.
McKellar started her collection years ago, but it was about a decade ago that she realized others might find these items intriguing as well. Inspired by a magazine called Found Magazine, she began uploading images of the discovered items to the library's website. Colleagues at the Oakland Library contribute to her collection by sending her items they find in books, which she then scans and posts online. As she explained to NPR, “I had always collected little things I'd found in library books and I knew other people did that too.”
Today, the archive boasts over 350 items, many of which remain unclaimed. There’s no telling what will happen to the collection in the future, or if McKellar will continue gathering items until she needs a storage unit. Regardless, these charming discoveries provide a wholesome glimpse into the lives of strangers.