By Bina Thomson

It’s not uncommon for the Norfolk Library to receive calls and emails intended for the Norfolk Public Library of Virginia. Or for the Norfolk Library in Massachusetts, or the library in Norfolk, Nebraska. It was the first time, however, that there was confusion regarding a library in Norfolk, England. A children’s book belonging to the Swaffham Library in Norfolk, U.K., was recently found in the outdoor book drop at the library in the Icebox of Connecticut. How it got there is a mystery, but it had a serendipitous trip home.

After library staff found the book among other returns, they were unsure what to do with it. It was set aside, with possible intentions to use it in a library display while staff figured out how to get it home. Luckily, they didn’t have to wait long.

One week later, Sari Hoy came into the library with her brother Calvin Hoy, who was visiting from England. Sari Hoy lives in Sheffield, Mass., and she had brought her brother to Norfolk to admire the library.

Librarian Hannah Silverman manages the rare book collection and is unfazed by literary oddities. She was on the circulation desk that day, and she recalled the rogue library book during a conversation with the Hoy siblings. When Calvin informed her where he was from, Silverman showed him the book, hoping he wouldn’t mind adding it to his luggage for the journey home.

Calvin, the senior dyslexia and specific learning disability tutor at the University of East Anglia, is an avid book lover and was more than willing to ensure the book’s return. Incredibly, the Swaffham branch of the Norfolk Library system was his home library.

The book, “Animal Ark: Bunny Adventure,” had apparently been missing from its U.K. shelf since October 2023, without actually having been checked out to a patron. Silverman and the library staff learned of the book’s safe return when the Swaffham library shared a Facebook post detailing the adventure. All was well, and the story seemingly concluded.

Less than a week later, however, the library received a call from Robby West, a reporter for the BBC. The journalist wanted to hear about the wandering book. He was cramming to make his evening deadline, five hours ahead, so the Norfolk staff hurried to gather all the details before a video call interview with him. Director Ann Havemeyer met with West virtually, explained the remarkable events and the story aired that evening.

Bev Burn, a Norfolk (Conn.) resident, was, coincidentally, in London visiting family when she heard Havemeyer’s voice on the evening news. Burn reached out to let the library know she had caught the segment live. That a local library patron heard the story while in the U.K. brought the story full circle.

The Connecticut and U.K. Norfolk libraries have stayed connected through social media posts about the book, although this is not the first time the same-named libraries have interacted. During the pandemic, a Zoom meeting was held between five Norfolk libraries: Norfolk, Conn.; Norfolk, Mass.; Norfolk, Va.; Norfolk, Neb.; and Norfolk, U.K. This heartwarming story keeps the two libraries connected despite the ocean between them.

Is the story told in Bunny Adventure more exciting than the physical book’s travels? Those curious to find out can check it out from the Norfolk Library, as Havemeyer has ordered it for the collection. Who knows—maybe patrons can borrow the next one from England’s shelves.