A postcard that was left behind in an Oakland Public Library book. It's part of a collection called "Found in a Library Book." OAKLAND, Calif. - For many readers, opening the pages of a book takes them on a journey where the imagination knows no bounds.
For one Oakland librarian, she’s brought the gift of what lies in between the pages of a book to an entirely different plane.For almost ten years, Sharon McKellar has been collecting artifacts that readers have left behind in the leaves of borrowed books.The Oakland Public Library's Sharon McKellar has cataloged an expansive collection of personal items found inside library books over the years. (Sharon McKellar)They've ranged from intimate love letters to pictures drawn by small and unsteady hands.
They've included photos, old ticket stubs, to-do lists, and even a dental report. Behind each item, an untold story with unknown characters all tied to hands that once opened the book in which the item was found.
McKellar estimated that she’s collected roughly 600 mementos since about 2013. "I have been a fan of this kind of thing for some time," the longtime librarian with the Oakland Public Library (OPL) told KTVU.