It really is amazing what you can find at the Library!
It all started around June of 2018. I was going through the inventory list of the Murray Library lockers on the first floor. Over a few days I had been working on the women’s lockers, checking to see if any of them were supposed to unoccupied, if the names and locks matched what was on our list, and switching out locks as needed. On this particular day, I thought it would be just like any other: I would open a locker and find it empty or full of garbage…however, this time was different.
This locker had been especially stubborn. Facilities staff had attempted on-and-off for years to cut off the lock; with enough force it finally gave in and I was able to look inside. The first thing that hit me was the smell. The other lockers had no real odor to them but this smell was almost like a musty, old book. Then I spotted a discolored (almost yellow) piece of paper folded over a hanger and a dark navy blue jacket next to it.
Newspaper from February of 1977. 17 years before I was born!
A jacket from the 70s can still be slightly fashionable in 2019.
I then looked down and saw a straw-like looking bag which wound up containing the following: an old Chatelaine magazine, a couple of Shoppers Drug Mart paper bags, and a pair of shoes. From the magazine we were able to determine who this locker must have belonged to at one point. I briefly thought that this person may have left in the last few years, however, with the help of Kerry and looking at the ‘era’ the items are to be from, we determined that it must have been at least 41 years since this individual last worked or was associated with the University Library.
Interesting what some people forget about.
I then proceeded with the standard steps of taking the items out of the locker and switching out the locks. I brought the items back to the Dean’s Office and ‘regaled’ Nicole and Kerry with the story of my find. They encouraged me then to share this fun little story with the rest of the Library and I thought that this was a good idea (but as you can tell, it’s been a bit delayed).
A few days later I then proceeded to work on the men’s lockers and once again I made an interesting discovery. As I opened a particular locker, I noticed that there was a large rolled up piece of bristol board and my first thought was that this was a past project that a student had abandoned. Upon unraveling it I discovered that it was actually drawing by infamous Saskatonian, Sailor Dan. I couldn’t believe my eyes.
To think that this was just left behind
Once I finished with my original task, I made my way back to the office and revealed the drawing to Nicole. We were slightly amused at the fact that I, once again, found an interesting ‘treasure’ and in the end we determined that the drawing would hang in Dean’s Office coffee room as our very own piece of art.