Bottled Up

Three reusable water bottles sitting together on a glass shelf in front of a sign that reads FOUND BOTTLES in white text on a black background.We’ve all been there. You’re at the library, so jazzed about your latest checkouts, you can’t wait to get home, and in all the excitement you leave your water bottle behind.

“We get anywhere from two to 10 bottles a month,” said library assistant M.A. Jackson.

Apparently, water bottle attrition is not just a Lebo problem. Senior library assistant Marina Nielsen was in another library with a similar issue, and their approach was to enshrine the wayward bottles in a display case. And that’s how Mt. Lebanon Public Library came to host the traveling exhibit Found Bottles: water bottles left behind. Close to two dozen receptacles, their careers of faithfully keeping your cold beverages cold and your hot beverages hot (how do they know? They just do) interrupted by your carelessness.

It’s a traveling exhibit in the sense that any unclaimed bottles will travel to Goodwill (except for the really gross ones, of which there are a few.) But if you do happen to see one that belongs to you, ask a librarian to open the case and you can be reunited.

Some memorable items:

Steel Town Cup on a Saturday NightIf you don’t get the reference, you can check Flashdance out from the DVD collection.

Still Life with Lemon: Those Lululemon bottles? 44 bucks a pop, man!

The Lavender YetiBecause even abominable snowmen like to feel pretty.

Found Bottles: water bottles left behind is located on the main floor of the library, next to the elevators.