"Keeps its finger on the pulse of the rare book world" - William Reese

A book archived for decades in the cluttered basement of the Metuchen Library has been identified as one of the most important science reference volumes of William Shakespeare's time -- a book the Bard of Avon himself may have consulted for his plays.

Bound in leather and weighing several pounds, John Gerard's "Herball" or "General History of Plantes," has more than 1,600 pages of detailed plant drawings and prose written in Elizabethan English.

"It's an astonishing discovery," said Karen Reeds, a science and medical historian. "Imagine you had your favourite cookbook, favourite medical book, favourite gardening book and favourite picture book all rolled into one."

"Herball" was the largest and most beautiful herbal book of its time when it was printed in 1597 in England. The Metuchen Library's copy is one of 500 second editions printed in 1636. Gerard's book was considered a standard reference volume until the 19th century, and many copies have found their way into the collections of prestigious universities. How the book ended up in a basement in New Jersey is still very much a mystery.

A long-time borough resident named Gertrude Rohdenburg donated the book to the library decades ago, according to Mary Jones, an old friend. Rohdenburg, Jones said, was a lively woman who was famous for her big hats, jewellery and her love of flowers. But no one seems to know how she got her hands on the book.

The tome sat for years in the Grimstead Room, where the library kept memorabilia, old Bibles and some office supplies. The book baffled librarians and volunteers. It was confusing to catalogue and, with its cracked spine, expensive to rebind. But earlier this spring, volunteers were cleaning out the room, and the puzzling book with the pretty pictures and funny words ended up in the office of library director Melody Kokola.

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