Odd Happenings

The Story of the Lost Book and the Pink Notice

Arla

Once upon a time, in a land nearby, there lived a family who enjoyed reading books. The man of the house was a logger and sometimes the logging took his family with him to “the bush”.  When the whole family went logging most of the people in the family had time to read books.  So they would find the local library and browse, bringing home arm loads of books at a time.

Sometimes because they also had a library at home they would end up with double arm loads of books on the coffee table and some books from some libraries would end up going “back” to the wrong libraries.  Libraries don’t like this. Most libraries have computer systems that keep a running inventory on their books and they know just where they might find a wayward book by looking it up.

This past fall our family was pinned with a “wayward” book.  The Secret of Grandfather’s Diary was not to be found.  They looked in all their personal bookshelves, and under the couches and behind the beds, but it was of no use. The library that owned the lost book was getting pretty owly about it and demanded to be paid 25 dollars or else.

The family chose the “or else” route and decided to buy a replacement of the book for the library.  The one librarian was dubious that this would suffice since the special number on the book had to be the same as the special number on the lost book.  But a different librarian said, “Pish, just order a good copy of the book and bring it back to me. It will be just fine.”

So the family ordered a hardcover copy, a replacement of the old rag tag paperback book that was lost.  In a couple of weeks the book came to their house. The lady of house opened the package and out came a lovely, old, brown book that appeared to have never been opened, probably never had been read. It was a beautiful copy.

They went to the library the very next week and “returned” the book, paid the five dollar fine and scattered to browse. A few minutes later, the front desk librarian brought the same book to the lady of the house and handed it back to her. “This book is too old to have on our shelves anyway, so you may keep it as your own.” She said.  All is well that ends well, right?

The very next day, there came in the mail a pink notice from the library that had been sent out a few days before saying, ‘that unless said book is returned in said amount of time the situation would be turned over to the city police as stolen property and said patron would be charged with thievery…’.

What a sad policy for the community library to have in their use.  The lady of the house did call to the library and made commentary to that effect. “What if a little child has lost a book?”  One wonders if the police in that community have nothing else to do all day but to go about the locality collecting fines for “stolen” books for the local library.

Published by Arla

19 thoughts on “The Story of the Lost Book and the Pink Notice”

  2. I can just see the wizened and hardened criminal sitting in his cell next to the fresh faced young petty thief…. “So what started you on your life of crime, old man?” “My lad, when I was but a wee little boy I borrowed a book from my local library and failed to return it….”

    ~GB

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  5. Watch out for the Book-Police! I read your blog by the way:-) You don´t know me, but we are sort of related I think. I am from Norway and a descendant of Bastian Larsson Skrøvset. My father got some PDF´s a while back about the “Skrivset Family” in the US. I got curious after reading some of it and typed the Skrivset family name into google and found your blog… I will keep checking into your blog now and then. Hanne Solem 🙂

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  6. Well Hello, Hanne Solem,
    How nice to hear from a cousin in Norway. I am delighted! I really wonder how my blog info let you know that my maiden name is Skrivseth. Yes, we are from the Bastian Larsson line. My computer doesn't do your vowel in Skrivseth.
    Thanks for commenting.
    You made my day, amg

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  8. Oh dear they must have needed something to do this winter to come up with something like that! We've had to replace books too and for the most part the library matrons are nice about it. . .Where do you buy replacements? Do you have a good place to buy 'em? I've always ordered from Alibris.com. . .

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  9. I think that I first found a blog called Life..one day @ a Time when I googled “Skrivseth, family and blog” and then I found your blog on her blog.. And I was wondering if this might be relatives, so I typed your name into the PDF with the Skrivseth Family documents and the details on you and your husband popped-up:-) Detective work:-) So your blog did not give out your maiden name.. Hanne

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  11. Yes, I found out that You are of Thore´s line. I am not quite sure, but I think that Bastian was the only one staying behind in Norway.. All the other went out to seek a better future in the US:-) Hanne

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  13. Yes, come and see Norway:-) Great fjords and high mountains. It is beautiful. I grew up on the west-coast, not to far away from where the Skrivset family originated, but now I live in the Capital, Oslo.

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  14. Uffta!!!(However you are suppose to spell that word:)Maybe you could tell me Hanne!When are you planning to make it to Norway
    anyway Arla? That shall be one interesting day! I hope you blog your exciting adventures:)~Another Skrivseth relative.

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  15. I'm a bit confused…I looked in the Skrivseth book that we have and Tores brother Bastian lived in ND…is this the same Bastian, or is there another? Married into the Skrivseth line…but I enjoy the history more than my husband!! Dena Skrivseth

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  16. There where two with the name Bastian L. Skrivseth, if I am not mistaken. One born in 1835 (he stayed in Norway, and are my line) and one born in 1855, the last one went to America and married there. Hanne

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