Clothes, unwanted pies, beer bottles and seaside driftwood have occasionally appeared in our return bins.
But on Monday at New Brighton Library, a more unusual return was discovered.
Charlie the crab was found in the box, presumably recovering after returning his library books.
Christchurch City Libraries Blog 
Golly!
I laughed so much and then I got a bit concerned about Charlie’s welfare. Such high speed, conflicting emotional responses have left me quite drained…
I once found a copy of Hustler magazine in the returns bin at New Brighton Library. Needless to say this was not a publication we had a subscription to.
Geez, NB, Hustler AND Crabs. Is there something in the water out that way?
Just nipped in to the library. Ahem…
A la Luqman – Was it a nippy morning in New Brighton this morning? (incredibly bad joke)
An old pair of jeans was in there one morning
Our most exciting item through the returns slot at Upper Riccarton was a stink bomb. During work time. It was very stinky.
Gross – offensive magazines, iffy clothing & righteous pongs! Some replies I’ve had via other channels are vomit (er, cheers) and “At Napier Public, many years ago, we found a preserved/mummified frog in our returns bin”. I’m sensing a Frog V Crab matchup …
At my library, kittens are a popular return item – sometimes one, sometimes more. A workmate once made the delightful discovery of human excrement.
Not in the returns bin – but more than once we’ve had a chase around after skinks in the library. I prefer to catch/chase them out while alive than find them dead later.
Fresh eels at a video store is the messiest I’ve heard of. I dealt with excrement on the outside of the slot once, but at least I could turn the fire hose on it.
Ah yes, I’m reminded of the occasional delightful task of figuring out exactly which book (or books) in the returns bin is the one that stinks of cat pee…
I thought it was a pile of chocolate biscuits in the photo then put on my glasses and realised they had legs !!
After hours spider anyone? We didn’t investigate too much but had a lurking suspicion it was flaunting its white tail at us.
Dead rat. Had been squished on the road to a nice post-it shape, obviously gave someone ideas. Lost about twenty books we could not get the smell out of.
After a long hot weekend, I found an opened can of a famous cola drink and a Bubble-O-Bill icecream in the night returns in a Melbourne suburb. Instantly went of both forms of refreshment.