Woman De-Fingered Returning Library Book

Ian Dewar Photography / shutterstock.com
Ian Dewar Photography / shutterstock.com

Nobody expects returning a library book to be a difficult task. Yet, for a nurse in Mount Dora, FL, it has been a horrific and life-altering decision.

Barbara “Bobbie” Haverly swung by the W.T. Bland Public Library on July 28th to return a stack of books. Speaking with KTVU, she explained that the library was especially packed she chose to use the library’s drop box for the books. When the metal door for the drop box swung back, she was suddenly coming up short. “I was in shock. It hit an artery, so there was blood squirting everywhere.”

Trained and working as an RN, Haverly asked for her finger back and to put it on ice. Rushed to the hospital, doctors worked feverishly to save the finger, but it couldn’t be fully reattached due to nerve damage. She explained that the surgeon told her that due to the diagonal angle of the cut, they had to remove it to level off the skin.

Being disfigured like this has left Haverly with a drastically changed life. “I wasn’t taking any risks; I was just returning a book at the library. And now I’m permanently disfigured.”

Following up, her husband returned to the library and found the drop box now had an out-of-order sign on it. Speaking with the network, he told viewers he doesn’t believe this kind of swinging hinge lid is necessary at a library. Instead, he believes it should simply be an old-fashioned drop box. Her lawyer Chris Largey told the network what he told her; she won’t be able to sue due to sovereign immunity as this is a government-owned library.

While no word has been said yet, somebody from the library or local government should be picking up her tab. God knows she already gave the tip.