Nostalgia in a library edition

It has been a good many years since the last time I entered a library so I have no idea if books for checkout from public and/or school libraries still go through the usual process -- actual library card, due date stamped on said card... that sort of thing. I do recall seeing several desktop computers in the lobby of a university library in the late 1990s, which prompted visions of libraries filled with computers from wall to wall, no card catalogues anywhere, and no books in sight. Machines everywhere! 

Well, much has changed since pre-Y2K but books are still around and apparently very much a part of life in many parts of the planet. And boy, what a bonus this library-bound book is with pocket and library card intact!

The book is not in the best shape, but I can definitely say I am elated not only by the sight of it; I'm delighted to have come to acquire a copy! A sad sight would be a library book in pristine condition being removed from the place after years and with nary an entry in the borrower's card. 

Library edition copy on the right has apparently seen more action with borrowers

The hardback library editions of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series reached none of the libraries in the Philippines as far as I can tell. If I am mistaken about this, please let me know! 

A closer look at the sticker

When I spotted a Nancy Drew Mystery Story with a lavender back cover (so pretty and different!) in a seller's page, I was enchanted. Plus, it was The Mystery at Lilac Inn -- one of  my favorites -- so deciding to purchase it wasn't difficult. 

Very recently I acquired another mystery in the same library-bound edition but quite by chance, I would say. It was part of a bargain bundle, and the original-text (OT) titles in the lot were what really appealed to me. Sometime during our brief transaction, the seller mentioned -- somewhat apologetically -- that the book had a pocket and library card attached to the inside back cover, then promptly sent a photo.

"That's okay. Please don't remove it," was my reply, delighted by the special element in one of my soon-to-receive Nancys. The book may have been packed into a box of old discards to make room for newer copies or titles, but it shall be treasured on my shelf. 

There is quite an assortment of library editions released and marketed to libraries in the US over the years, and this lavender-spine format produced by Grosset & Dunlap is among those seen most often, according to series book collector Jennifer White. 

One thing I like about this edition is its durability. Since these books were designed particularly for library use, they were well-equipped for wear and tear. The paper is noticeably thicker, and I wouldn't be surprised if the boards are of the hardier kind as well. Better be ready for more-than-occasional handling and for frequent passing between rough hands of every kind of child there is! 

I sure wish I kept even just one of my library cards from school. But then, fortunately I have my copies of this Grosset & Dunlap edition to remind me of those years. The earliest checkout date in volume 26 is December 7, 1977, which was a few years before I started reading my first Nancy Drew mystery. At that time, though, scanning the shelves of our school library was already a familiar activity. It might have happened sooner had I spotted adventures featuring River Heights' amateur detective!