Books full of germs

Julienne Bay
Jul 21, 2017 · 2 min read

Last week, I borrowed a copy of “Burmese Lessons” by Karen Connelly at a local library.

*TPL = Toronto Public Library

I got home and noticed the book was very dirty. It also smelled like a basement full of dead cats.

I developed a fear of dirty library books when I worked as a page (shelver) at TPL, between high school and undergrad. I’ve heard (and witnessed) all sorts of disgusting stories including:

  1. Two books being stuck together because someone had returned them with a bloody maxipad,

2. …and a woman who returned books AND cockroaches in a plastic bag.

After reading a few pages, I decided this book shouldn’t, and won’t, come in contact with any of my furniture.

So the book went back to the library without being read.

)

Written by

Weekly illustrated musings on life in Toronto, Canada. nowherestationblog.wordpress.com

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