Found in a Library Book
When a fun work project explodes.
From a blog I started on the Oakland Public Library website in 2013, to a full archive and a lot of publicity in 2022, Found in a Library Book is a project born of nerdiness, love of ephemera, compulsion to archive personal histories, and delight in taxonomies.
Select Local & National Media Coverage
Meet the librarian documenting the weird and wonderful things she finds left behind in library books!
From the Library With Love Podcast
October 6, 2023
Fish doorbells! Historic sandwiches! 50 of the weirdest, most wonderful corners of the web – picked by an expert
The Guardian
August 31, 2023
Oakland Librarian Reunites Reader With Long-Lost Childhood Photos Found In Library Book
The Kelly Clarkson Show
February 20, 2023
100 Things We Learned in 2022
Mental Floss
December 28, 2022
Have you ever found something in a #library book?
CNET
October 3, 2022
this is FOUND WORDS, LIBRARY BOOKS & LOVE actually. feat SHARON MCKELLAR
this is it actually. Podcast
September 29, 2022
Found In A Library Book
The List
September 21, 2022
Shelf Life: How an Oakland librarian launched the ‘Found in a Library Book’ photo blog and in-person exhibition
Local News Matters
September 7, 2022
Liz-teria Outbreak – Weekly Edition
The Bunker Podcast
September 5, 2022
U.S. Library Exhibit Shows 'Glimpse of Humanity' in Lost Items in Books
U.S. News & World Report
September 2, 2022
U.S. library exhibit shows 'glimpse of humanity' in lost items in books
Reuters
Setember 2, 2022
Lost and found
Seven:Thirty DC
August 30, 2022
Veteran Oakland librarian shares love notes, photos, personal items left inside library books
KTVU News
August 29, 2022
INERTIA IS A HELL OF A DRUG.
Life is So Beautiful
August 29, 2022
For years, an Oakland librarian has been collecting the to-do lists, doodles, and other ephemera nestled between the pages of returned books.
California Sun
August 25, 2022
10 stories we've enjoyed this week
Storythings
August 23, 2022
3 Good Things: A dress with mileage, a cure for corneal blindness and boons from books
LA Times
August 23, 2022
Credit cards, cash, and what they hope is candy: What librarians find in returns
Daily Herald, Chicago
August 22, 2022
* Full article is behind paywall
Librarian collects hundreds of items used as bookmarks over a decade
NBC Nightly News
August 16, 2022
The Oakland Public Library Puts Online a Collection of Items Forgotten in Library Books: Love Notes, Doodles & More
Open Culture
August 15, 2022
Before You Go …
The New York Times, The Morning
August 13, 2022
Fossil records and paper trails
Austin Kleon, 10 things worth sharing
August 12, 2022
A California Librarian Has Assembled a Digital Archive of the Fascinating Objects Found in Books
Mental Floss
August 11, 2022
A glimpse of the community
SF Chronicle, Bay Briefing
August 11, 2022
Librarian starts collection with hundreds of artifacts left behind in books
CBS News
August 10, 2022
This librarian blogged about all the notes left in books. They seemed unsolvable puzzles — until one note writer surfaced
San Francisco Chronicle
August 10, 2022
*Full article is behind paywall
"Found in a Library Book"
WGN News, Chicago
August 9, 2022
The Fascinating Things People Leave Behind in Library Books
Hyperallergic
August 7, 2022
From Lists to Love Letters, What Do People Leave Behind in Library Books?
Smithsonian Magazine
August 5, 2022
Oakland Librarian Collects Love Notes, Photos and Art Left in Books
NBC Bay Area News
August 3, 2022
Librarian is sharing the treasure trove of items she's discovered in returned books
Upworthy
August 3, 2022
Librarian finds love notes, doodles in books and shares them with a grateful public
Washington Post
August 3, 2022
A librarian collects all the things left in books — from love letters to old photos
NPR, Morning Edition
August 2, 2022
Oakland librarian reflects on nearly 10 years of chronicling found objects
SFGate
July 27, 2022
Found in a Library Book
ilovelibraries
July 11, 2022
Look through this archive of all the random things people have lost in library books.
Literary Hub
July 11, 2022
Library shares the random stuff they find in their books
boingboing
July 10, 2022
Oakland Librarian Documents Notes Found in Library Books
Library Journal
January 10, 2014
*Full piece behind paywall
Found in the Library: The Messages We Leave Behind
KQED, California Report
January 10, 2014
*Audio no longer available
Oakland librarian collects ephemera left behind
SF Gate, San Francisco Chronicle
December 27, 2013
Select International Media Coverage
Australia
Library exhibit shows 'glimpse of humanity' in lost items in books
SBS News, September 3, 2022
Brazil
Califórnia | Exibir marcadores temporários esquecidos em livros
Sou de Canoas, August 31, 2022
Projeto mostra objetos bem curiosos esquecidos em livros; confira
Escola Educação, August 28, 2022
Canada
This librarian made a catalogue out of all the notes readers left behind in books
CBC Radio, August 4, 2022
Europe
Forgotten treasures: the strange things we leave in library books
EuronewsCulture Twitter Thread
EuroNews, August 31, 2022
France
Between the covers: Librarian reveals left-behind treasures
France 24, August 31, 2022
Cette bibliothécaire collectionne les trésors oubliés dans les livres qui lui sont rapportés
Ouest Franch, August 4, 2022
Des lettres d'amour perdues aux vieilles photos oubliées, la collection atypique d'une bibliothécairebibliothecaire-livres
Slate (France), August 2, 2022
Hong Kong
短片：加州圖書館展還書「小寶物」 管理員冀帶出社區故事
Ming Pao, August 31, 2022
照片信件夾在書裡忘了拿出來 圖書館職員收集另類失物滿載感動
Bastille Post, August 15, 2022
India
Top 10 Celebrity News Stories This Morning at 11AM!
Buzz InShort, August 30, 2022
Ireland
Found In A Library Book with Sharon McKellar
Dave Fanning Show, Irish National Public Radio, August 28, 2022
Italy
Cose dimenticate nei libri
Post, August 18, 2022
Malaysia
Between the book covers: US librarian reveals left-behind treasures
The Star, Malaysia, September 1, 2022
From drawings to lists to photos, this librarian collects all the things people leave in books
Malay Mail, August 11, 2022
Mexico
En California biblioteca exhibe objetos olvidados en los libros
TV Azteca, September 2, 2022
Spain
Los marcapáginas olvidados en los libros expuestos
EsEuro, September 1, 2022
Las notas de amor olvidadas en libros que una biblioteca comparte en su sitio web
El Diario, August 12, 2022
United Kingdom
Librarian documents items readers leave behind in books
The Times, UK, August 5, 2022
*Full article is behind paywall
Vietnam
Săn "kho báu" bỏ quên trong sách thư viện
TUỔI TRẺ CUỐI TUẦN, August 21, 2022