MIDDLEFIELD, Ohio — The Geauga County Public Library’s Middlefield Branch was met with an unexpected challenge this week when staff arrived after a single-day closure to find the book drop room overflowing with hundreds, possibly thousands, of returned books. A photo posted by the library on Facebook shows piles of materials scattered across the room, far beyond the capacity of the usual storage bins.
“We always knew our Middlefield patrons loved to read, but I guess we didn’t realize just how much,” the library wrote in its post.
Community members reacted online with a mix of humor and appreciation. Some suggested the returns were likely tied to summer reading programs, while others joked about the monumental task awaiting library staff. Several former library workers explained that the book drop typically feeds into bins, but during closures those bins can fill quickly, leading staff to remove them overnight to prevent jams…