Library Adventures, Episode 342: The Rare Book

While reshelving some fiction books this morning at work, I came across an interesting novel: an ancient hardcover book, smaller than a paperback. I flipped to the publishing info page and discovered that it had been published in 1892 in the Pikes Peak region. I can't recall the name of the author nor the title of the novel, but I had never heard of either. Stamps covered the first few pages reading "Property of the Public Library of the City of Colorado Springs"---the single library that existed long before the Pikes Peak Library District and its many branches. Not only was the book 113 years old, it was a first edition signed by the author to a friend named "Mrs. Clarke."

I immediately showed the book to a coworker who seemed unimpressed and told me that the library has plenty of rare books on the shelves. She showed me a particular first edition book that she claimed was worth a small fortune. I asked the obvious question: how can rare books such as these be available to the public?! The drooling, vulgar masses! The coffee-spillers who let their dogs trample and gnaw books as if they were chew toys! (cynical, I know). The only other option, she explained, would be to place rare books in the Archives at the Penrose library downtown where very few people could ever see them, much less read them. I thought that that sounded like an excellent idea and told her as much. She then made up a ridiculous hypothetical story to prove her point: a mother puts her children to sleep after a long day at work, makes herself a cup of tea, sits down on her couch, and reads a rare novel she checked out from the library. If the book had been in the Archives, this same woman might have been able to read the book---under supervision in the stuffy archives room where no comfortable furniture exists. My coworker was satisfied with herself. I tried not to laugh.

Soon after, I brought the book to my supervisor. Her reaction surprised me. She flipped through the book excitidedly, saying things like, "oh my!" and "this is amazing!" over and over again. The fact that a signed first edition was available for checkout shocked her as well (although she didn't mention anything about the vulgar masses). After a few more minutes of examining the book, she told me to send it off for review. Someone knowledgeable about rare books will examine the novel and decide what to do with it. Granted, it's not a first edition Hawthorne or Poe novel or anything, but it was published locally and is a part of Colorado Springs history. I'm betting that it will end up in the Archives.