The Book Drop

The Book Drop

Have you ever wondered what happens when you return your books via the book depository slot (aka the book drop)?! They travel down a mini slide into our book bins. These metal cube bins are 20 inches deep with  a 20 x 20 inch opening. There is a bin under each depository slot–with four bins total. They have wheels, so staff can roll them over to the circulation counter to unload the materials inside for check-in.

When the library is closed for a holiday, the book drop usually gets filled–sometimes to the point of overflow. On Tuesday morning after this past Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday, the book drop had over 100 items! Most of the materials returned through the book drop belong to our library; however, some of them are books and materials that are owned by other libraries. 

One of the book deposit slots says “Media Only” and here is why:

Media items often become dislodged from their containers when they are sent through the chute. These materials (e.g. CDs, DVDs, Nintendo Switch games) have more delicate contents and containers than books, so it is safer for them to go into their own separate bin. This minimizes scratches and breakage. 

We occasionally get “donations” in our book drop–or materials that do not belong to the library. The library does not accept donations via the book drop; however, The Friends of Beebe Library periodically hosts donation drops locally, the details of which are posted on their website.

Here is a list of a few of our favorite things that librarians have found in (thankfully) other library drop boxes:

  • Squirrel tail without the rest of the squirrel
  • A half full fast food drink cup with no lid someone had dropped into the overnight bin that… landed straight up (in a pile of books no less!) and didn’t spill or splatter on anything
  • A subpoena for a librarian to appear in court
  • A monocle
  • A single multicolored wool sock
  • About a dozen black and white photos of Shrek
  • A whole jar of mayonnaise
  • A mannequin arm… with the hand sticking out
  • Foil wrapped hotdogs
  • A live, confused kitten