This is the story of a girl...

Could use some help from my fellow Chicagoans and/or those with impressive library knowledge!

I am trying to figure out a story, fiction based on history. I need help coming up with the idea behind something. In 1871, after The Great Chicago fire the British Royal Family and noted English literary figures sent a donation of 8,000 books to replace Chicago's library (this is true, despite the fact that Chicago had not had an official public library before The Fire).

My thought is that a book that was not supposed to be seen outside of official offices got put into that shipment. What happened to those books? Where would those books be now? Could a "normal Joe" get their hands on that book accidentally?