Message left in library book

Maggiemaybe

We received something similar in lockdown. Handwritten, with a personal signature, and sent through the post, but addressed to The Householder. I can’t remember whether on the letter itself or on the envelope, it did state somewhere that it came from our local Kingdom Hall.

I get these every so often. As they go straight into the bin they are at least less intrusive than two Jehovah’s Witnesses standing on my doorstep.
Although how they can think anybody believes their message is personal is beyond me.

BlueBelle

I think it’s just an affirmation, a little note of encouragement in life, in the same way that people leave little tokens of friendship dotted around to find and painted pebbles and books.
Why on earth would it freak anyone it’s meant to be a little kind gesture not a personal threat !!!
Most people are thrilled when they find them 😊

It reminded me of the lovely message pebbles too.

We received something similar in lockdown. Handwritten, with a personal signature, and sent through the post, but addressed to The Householder. I can’t remember whether on the letter itself or on the envelope, it did state somewhere that it came from our local Kingdom Hall.

Kate1949, I once got a letter like that - and found it quite creepy, as I'm not on the electoral roll, how would they know my name and address? Maybe a certain religion encourages it?

DamaskRose (just read the replies) - snap! Did you ever find a squashed piece of toast?

When I first left school, I worked as a library assistant. You'd be amazed at what we found in books. People would use anything as a bookmark - even a slice of bacon!

A long time ago I can remember borrowing a library book and finding inside a photo of my niece and nephew.They were young children then but grown up now.
I rang my brother to tell him and he and his wife were overjoyed to get it back.My sister-in-law had borrowed the book just before me and had used the photo as a bookmark, then forgot to remove it when returning the book!

I don’t find it creepy at all, nor would I think it was personal, I’d give the book back with it still inside someone could welcome it

Calendargirl

Not a church sign, but a poster on a fence that DH and I saw once.

‘Jesus Is Coming’.

Underneath someone had added ‘Look Busy!’

😂😂😂

This reminded me of a time in the early seventies when my parents and we five kids were camping in a field in Scotland. It was a desiganted camping site. Facilities were a couple of toilets and a tap outside the toilet block for filling one's water containers.

Inside, pasted on the door of the toilets, was a notice saying ball games and other noisy games on Sundays were not allowed. (It was Wee Free territory). Someone had written underneath: "Because God doesn't like noise".

eddicat - you found the note creepy, so the obvious thing to do was to destroy it, and think no more about it.

That way it can't worry anyone else.

I borrowed a library book once to find a cooked rasher of bacon had been left as a bookmark.

Not a church sign, but a poster on a fence that DH and I saw once.

‘Jesus Is Coming’.

Underneath someone had added ‘Look Busy!’

Joseann

Now I am cross.
If people are leaving fried eggs, old banana skins and goodness knows what else in library books, why did I fess up to a little chew of one page by my puppy and give the library £16.99 when I returned the book?

It's because you have a social conscience Joseann.
Some people just don't care,they also tear pages out of books and return them or you find holes in the ones at the hairdressers in those magazines that cost a bomb.
One of my DD's dropped her school reading book in the bath and had to confess to me. We dried it out and I went and explained, we were let off buying a new one because we had confessed.

As an ex-librarian I’d say the library staff would be too busy to track down note leavers - what would they say anyway? The strangest thing we had was a slice of bacon!

Oh yes a £10 and a message to treat yourself would be much more appreciated by me !

People do odd things. A lot of our neighbours including us receive letters through the post occasionally addressed to 'The householders'. These letters are usually two pages long, are handwritten by someone who gives her name and sets out her view of the state of the world and explains how God will save us. I'm not sure why anyone would do this. The stamps must cost her a fortune.

I work in a library, and I remove anything that is in a book before putting it out on the shelves again. My view is people come in to borrow a book, if they want quotes etc, they’ll find them themselves.
It’s true about banana skins (and used cotton buds etc!)

Now I am cross.
If people are leaving fried eggs, old banana skins and goodness knows what else in library books, why did I fess up to a little chew of one page by my puppy and give the library £16.99 when I returned the book?

A friend didn’t leave messages in his library books, but used his (hard) contact lenses as a bookmark each night. I hope he never forgot them…

We are in an age of ‘positivity’ as if there’s some shame in being at a low ebb when we often have a good reason to be.

Re church signs, locally there is a huge sign along the lines of “Is This All There Is?” or something similar. Well if this world is all there is, it suits me very well thank you, I love it.
BTW I’m still a believer in ‘something’.

Have found all sorts of stuff in library books in the past.😲

Baggs

Bin it and stop making it into an issue. You are probably over-sensitive because of "not being in a great place" right now. Hope you feel better soon 🌸🌹

That’s exactly it.

I’d have found it twee and irritating to be honest. And binned it.

eddiecat78

Aldon may I ask how you would have felt if the message had appeared shortly after the tragedy?
The problem with sending these supposedly uplifting notes, eg in a library book,to random people is that the sender has no idea about the recipient's current state of mind

You may indeed ask. The quote would not have offended me in the slightest. Nor would it have helped because I was not ready. I have read many unhelpful pieces and just three which have been helpful. However, when these words were not helping me perhaps someone else was ready to hear them and maybe find comfort or resolution.
Life is a journey. Things change, people change. None of us know what will be meaningful to us, until it is.
Hope you feel better soon.

I’ve had similar in a library book, it was one of those nauseating quotes you see everywhere, “Live, love laugh” or something like that, I don't know if it was a bookmark or meant for the next reader. I threw it away.

Aldom. We have travelled that hideous road in our family too.