Mary Cooper, an 81-year-old American woman, moved from her home in a small town and brought with her a new home item from her deceased mother. While examining and organizing her mother's belongings after the move, Cooper discovered an artifact—a book, taken from a library, which had not been returned for about 99 years. "I looked at the book's titles and found a book about making toys for boys and girls," she said.
Mary lives in Berkeley, New Jersey, and shared with CNN: "I thought this was a pretty book, and maybe my son might like such a genre of books; he loves to do crafts." Interest in crafts in Mary seems to have been inherited from her grandfather Charles, who dabbled in carpentry and woodworking.
When Mary opened the book 'The Craft of Toy-Making for Children', authored by Nelly Hall, she realized that the book was checked out from the library in March 1926 in her hometown, Ocean, New Jersey, the year her grandfather passed away. This book, published in 1911, is an illustrated guide to making simple toys from wood, metal, and household items.
Cooper explained that her grandfather wanted to make a doll for his little daughter, Mary’s mother. Although Mary doesn’t have personal memories of her grandfather, as he passed away before her birth, her mother shared many stories about him. She recalled how her mother told her that her grandfather made a small boat out of wood that he donated to Bay Head Historical, a charitable organization in New Jersey.
Upon learning the story behind the book, Mary decided to return it to the library since she has no grandchildren, while her children are already adults. She wanted the book to remain in the library and handed it to her colleague at the library. In the end, the book was returned to the library in anticipation of the upcoming jubilee of its founding.
Mary spent a few hours in the library, studying the genealogical records of her grandfather and the worn-out pages of the book, together with a library staff member. At one moment, Mary remembered that they saw a photograph of the boat in the book - it was the same boat her grandfather made for his daughter, her mother, and which she donated to a charitable organization. This connection made her mentally return to the time of her family and emphasized the importance of preserving this book for herself and others.
Library staff member, Sherry Thaller, shared her joy with CNN: "What a lucky convergence of circumstances that the book was able to be returned in the jubilee year of the library." Now the book is publicly accessible for awareness, along with other preserved relics in the closed cabinet of the library. This book has once again returned to its native place and will be stored there for the coming years.