Readers can find just about anything in a library, and as library workers, we’re always happy to help patrons discover all kinds of things between the pages of a book. Sometimes we even discover some surprising finds ourselves! Check out these buried treasures recently found in books from the NYS Library’s collections:
First up is this winsome 1879 doodle and signature found on a book's end paper. This feathered friend was resting in a copy of Contributions to the early history of the Northwest including the Moravian missions in Ohio, by Samuel. P. Hildreth, M.D. Call no. 977 H64c.
This next one will probably feel familiar to some readers out there! This grocery receipt from the early 20th century was used as a bookmark at some point. This dispatch from the past was found in a copy of Great conflagration. Chicago: its past, present and future. Embracing a detailed narrative of the great conflagration in the north, south, and west divisions...Also, a condensed history of Chicago, its population, growth and great public works. And a statement of all the great fires of the world, by James Washington Sheahan, 977.31 C531.
If you enjoyed the special adventure issue of News from the NYS Library, please consider sharing your own stories through the NYS Personal History Initiative!
We’ve made it easy to upload photos, drawings, diaries, travel stories, found treasures, and more so that New Yorkers can add directly to the historical record. Check out our monthly themed prompts for ideas!
New for November 2023:
We are inviting the library community in New York State to join this initiative by sharing the history of your library, untold stories from those you serve, or your own history in relation to libraries.
We hope that you’ll take this opportunity to celebrate unsung library heroes, record origin stories, and share the transformative power libraries have had on you and your community. These histories will be added to the Personal History Initiative digital archives, preserved for future generations as part of the public record.
For the library stories, there are three categories for sharing: Local Archives: The history of your library; Uncataloged: Histories from your library community; and Me, Myself & Library: Your own history in libraries.
Please share this opportunity with your staff and wider library community and invite them to add their history!