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Hi, this question comes from Chelsea B of Junior High School. Answering is our cataloging librarian, She of the Labels:

Library materials can be found in many places. Most are on the shelves, like books and DVDs. Some are processing (getting labels put on them as well as being entered into computers), while a lot of them are at patron's homes just like yours! A very small amount, though, are labeled "In Library Use Only" for many reasons. Here's a few!

1. Cost

Some books are in the library for special reasons. These books, often reference items, cost a lot of money for the library to purchase or replace. To keep them from being damaged and available, the library keeps these to be used only inside our buildings.

2. Rarity

Other books are valuable for different reasons. Age and lack of global interest in a subject can make it so some subjects, often local histories, are no longer published. These items are kept for library use so that they can be kept in great shape for years to come.

3. Fragility

Some books really are just old. They have faded writing or brittle pages. Still, for various reasons, they may need to be kept around. They are local treasures stolen from far off lands that will never be returned. To protect them, we do not allow them to leave the building.

4. Mind Dangerous

Ever read a book and sat there thinking about it for days after? Maybe a character died or a concept was explored and you cannot shake the emotions? Well, there are books that go farther than mere trivial cause of wonder. They twist and wind your mind into pretzels and cause your thoughts to become a cheese dipping sauce that oozes down onto the hands of greedy children from far off borders of reality. These books must never be read, or at least read under the supervision of a librarian.

5. Summon Those Beyond the Stacks

Ancient texts speak of beings that desire our flesh and our waking dreams. These beings can be called forth by the retching sounds of dead languages called forth from tongues that do not understand the naked hunger. The ink in these tomes is blood written on the flesh of the living. They cannot leave the library as they do not exist outside of the library. Ask a librarian for help with these.

6. In-House Library Copy

Libraries often keep one copy of a popular book back for reference. Most often these are nonfiction books, like an almanac, but some fiction books can be put to "library use only" for reasons like book clubs. This is often just for a limited time.

Remember, if you have questions about the library, our librarians, or just in general, contact us!