by Sophia Holt, Adams County Library Public Services Assistant.
As a public services assistant at the library, I consider myself more of a background character in terms of who you see working here- one of the many people operating behind the scenes and doing their best to make sure everything is running smoothly. While you might catch me at one of the circulation desks from time to time, it’s far more likely that if you see me at all it’ll be a brief glimpse as I push various carts past the shelves.
When I’m not venturing out into the library proper to gather returned items from the book drops, most of my time is spent out of sight from the general public in our materials handling area, checking in said gathered items and organizing them onto carts so they can be shelved by whoever’s lucky enough to be working the desk after I’ve gotten through everything. Anything that shouldn’t be circulated anymore due to being damaged (I’ve seen some particularly gross things at this point, and will spare you the details) I either set aside for repairs or throw away if it’s not fixable; if the latter occurs, I can’t help solemnly saluting the book as I drop it into the trash bin’s abyssal maw. It’s very tragic. Primarily working in materials handling also means I’ve looked at a good chunk of what our collection has to offer, which is a nice positive to counter the negative of dealing with anything nasty- though even I haven’t seen absolutely everything in the catalogue with the sheer number of books, DVDs, audiobooks, and so much more that’s available to our patrons! But being one of the people that gets a first-hand look at what’s returned (and what’s just been added to the shelves too- anything that’s done being processed by tech services gets sent my way to be scanned) means I sometimes come across bookmarks still tucked away between pages. Which can be surprisingly entertaining!
Now when I say bookmarks, odds are you’re picturing an illustrated strip of paper with a ribbon or two, or maybe one of those fancy magnetic ones that wrap around the top of the page. Perhaps even the kind that slides onto the page’s corner like a delightfully jaunty little hat. And while I definitely do come across those, the far more interesting bookmarks are the ones that wouldn’t be considered bookmarks at all, had they not been chosen to sit between the pages as if unexpectedly chosen for jury duty.
You’ve got your usual suspects, when it comes to bookmark replacements; things like post-it notes, folded up napkins, flattened candy wrappers, business cards, and of course, receipts. It’s difficult to say for certain without having collected any actual data on the matter, but I’m fairly confident in saying that receipts for the library specifically are one of if not the most common bookmarks I see left behind, right up there with the slips of paper we use to show an item’s been placed on hold. Which makes sense, considering our receipts have the item’s due date printed on them. Points for practicality! But then you start seeing bookmarks that make you question why they were used as such because of their importance- things like pieces of mail, photographs, even bills and medical information, which I always take care to not look closely at beyond determining that it’s something that shouldn’t be thrown away carelessly. You can expect to get a phone call or email about coming in to pick up things of that nature, because while we at the library value information, there are some things we definitely do not need to know.
And then there are my favorite kinds of bookmarks, which are anything baffling, silly, or just plain memorable! I’ve found, in no particular order: a keychain, various stickers (both unused and ones stuck to the pages), a guitar pick, Pokémon cards, a mini magnifying glass, and my personal favorite to date, a notecard bearing a picture of an adorably angry looking puppy with the text BEAST MODE written underneath in Impact font. It’s been pretty difficult to top that one, if I’m being honest. There’s really no telling what sorts of things you’ll find when working in materials handling- and all this is without getting into the things I’ve found inside the book drops themselves! But that’s a story for another day. For now, I leave you with this: whether you’re dropping off books, DVDs, or something else entirely, remember to have a look at what you’re turning in to see if you’ve left anything behind. And if you forget, don’t worry! That’s what I’m here for!
ACLS is #15 in the 2026 Giving Spree! We’re grateful for the opportunity to participate in the Adams County Community Foundation’s Giving Spree on November 5. We look forward to celebrating generosity with our community at the Wyndham Hotel in Gettysburg from 3–7 PM!