Beowulf Post Goes Viral
Earlier this month, we shared a post on our Facebook and Instagram pages about a book that was returned a little overdue.
(And by overdue, we mean 54 years after it was checked out!)
The post – which was viewed by over 22,000 people – gained community attention.
Soon our local news stations, WTAE & WPXI reached out to highlight the story.
But most of all, we have to thank Carol Patterson McIntyre for her dedication to her childhood library and for returning a piece of the library’s history! Additional thanks go to her daughters, Sayward & Robyn, for documenting the triumphant return of the title (which was shared in the comments on our Facebook post) and helping us tell this story. We are so fortunate to have such dedicated community members!
Story Gains National Attention
We were thrilled to see/hear the story featured in several national news outlets the morning of December 19th.
Sewickley Public Library was featured on:
We are pleasantly surprised by how much this story has touched our local community, as well as the nation at-large. Many folks can remember being assigned to read “Beowulf” during their high school years. Many may even relate to borrowing it from their local library. (And several of our local community members may have even borrowed this copy, going by the 38 times it was checked out between 1967-1969 alone!)
The most important part of this story for us to share was the reminder that the Sewickley Public Library is FINE FREE! One of the reasons our library decided to eliminate overdue fines was to remove the barriers that keep people from using the library. We want to make sure everyone has access to library books, movies, and resources – regardless of circumstances. Even if it’s been decades since you borrowed an item from our library, it’s never too late to return it. Once items are returned, you can continue to borrow materials again, no questions asked.
Learn more about the Fine Free program below.
Value of Your Public Library
Whether you’re a student checking out a title for a school assignment, a job seeker using our databases to land your next position, an avid reader who appreciates the opportunity to borrow books of all genres, or anywhere in between, your public library is here for you.
We’ve been connecting users to the resources they need for 150 years. We couldn’t do it without community support. We thank everyone who has given to our Anniversary Campaign during this milestone year for the Sewickley Public Library. Thank you for helping us make our mission to serve as a lifelong learning center for the Quaker Valley community possible.
If you would like to support the Sewickley Public Library this holiday season, gifts of any size can make a big impact on the community we serve.
Thank you for your generosity!
