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List of returned long-overdue library books

[edit]

Loaned books returned decades after their due date are often found when people go through their deceased relatives’ belongings.[1] The Guinness World Record for "most overdue library book" is held by a 1609 German book about the Archbishop of Bremen which was borrowed from Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge by Colonel Robert Walpole in 1667–68 and found by Professor John H. Plumb 288 years later in the library of the then Marquess of Cholmondeley at Houghton Hall, Norfolk.[2] In most cases, late fees for the books are wither waived, in amnesty, or already abolished by the time they are returned.

Australia

[edit]
Title Author(s) Borrowed by Borrowed from Date borrowed Date due Date returned Years overdue Notes
A History of Malvern State Library Victoria 21 Apr 1955 June 2023 68 Graeme Coulson found the book when clearing his mother Helen Coulson's house in Echuca after she died age 103. It is unknown whether she borrowed the book from the library, though at least four books written by her are in the library's collection and she often visited it. The fine would have been $11,929.44 with inflation. It went into the Rare Books collection as a book from before the closure of the State Library’s lending library in 1971.[3]

Finland

[edit]
Title Author(s) Borrowed by Borrowed from Date borrowed Date due Date returned Years overdue Notes
The Refugees (Finnish version) Arthur Conan Doyle Helsinki City Library 1939 26 Dec 1939 27 May 2024 84 The due date was one month after the beginning of the Soviet invasion of Finland; this was possibly why the due date was missed. In good condition, it was given to Helsinki Central Library Oodi once discovered.[1]

Ireland

[edit]
Title Author(s) Borrowed by Borrowed from Date borrowed Date due Date returned Years overdue Notes
The White Owl Annie M. P. Smithson Donegal County Library, Gweedore 23 Jul 1937 6 Aug 1937 17 May 2019 81 It was a first edition of the book, thought to be very rare. After being found during a house clearance in nearby Falcarragh, it was returned to Gweedore Public Library.[4]
31st International Eucharistic Congress Pictorial Record Navan Library 1932 27 May 2012 80 The book, published the same year as it was borrowed for 80 years, was slipped through the library's letterbox a month prior to the 50th International Eucharistic Congress. The fine was waived and it was put on display.[5]
Down all the Days Christy Brown Aidan Heavey Library, Athlone 10 Sept 1971 14 Nov 2024 53 The book ended up in a flat in London before it was returned. There were no fines as they had been abolished in Ireland in 2019.[6]

The Netherlands

[edit]
Title Author(s) Borrowed by Borrowed from Date borrowed Date due Date returned Years overdue Notes
Terug naar Oegstgeest Jan Wolkers Groesbeek Community Library 5 Mar 1981 Sept 2020 39 Overdue fees should have amounted to nearly €1,531.[7]

New Zealand

[edit]
Title Author(s) Borrowed by Borrowed from Date borrowed Date due Date returned Years overdue Notes
Myths and Legends of Maoriland A. W. Reed Auckland Library 17 Dec 1948 April 2016 67 An anonymous woman had checked out the book as a child and said she had been meaning to return it. She was not charged as children were not charged late fees. The book was not thought to have any monetary value.[8]

United Kingdom

[edit]
Title Author(s) Borrowed by Borrowed from Date borrowed Date due Date returned Years overdue Notes
German book about the Archbishop of Bremen Robert Walpole (colonel) Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge 1667–68 16 Jan 1956 287–288 The book was borrowed by Colonel Robert Walpole, the father of the first British prime minister. It was found by Professor John H. Plumb in the library of the then Marquess of Cholmondeley at Houghton Hall, Norfolk when he was working on a biography of Walpole. It holds the Guinness World Record for "most overdue library book."[2]
The Microscope and its Revelations William B Carpenter Professor Arthur Boycott (student) Hereford Cathedral School c. 1886-1894 Dec 2016 122–130 Boycott was a former pupil of the school between 1886 and 1894; he went on to become a distinguished naturalist and pathologist. The book was discovered by his granddaughter Alice Gillett; the school waived fines, which at 17p per day would have been £7,446.[9]
Poetry of Byron Lord Byron Leonard Ewbank (student) St Bees School, Cumbria 25 Sept 1911 2024 113 St Bees student Ewbank later studied at The Queen's College, Oxford and was killed in the Battle of Ypres in 1916.[10][11]
Stately Timber Rupert Hughes Dunfermline Central Library 23 Oct 1948 6 Nov 1948 Nov 2021 73 The book, only to be retained for 14 days, was delivered in a parcel to the library after being found by the borrower's daughter on the Black Isle. Potential fees came to £2,847, though Fife libraries had an amnesty on late fees during the COVID-19 pandemic.[12]
How to Lie with Statistics Darrell Huff Fenham Library 25 Nov 1958 62 The book was posted to Newcastle Central Library with a note reading "Better late than never!!" At the contemporary rate of 15p per day, the charge may have been around £3,434, but all fines were capped at £15. In-house publishing company Tyne Bridge offered the anonymous person some books as a thank you, if they came forward.[13]
Cultures and Societies of Africa Cambridge University Library 26 Sept 2019 59 The book was returned to Gonville and Caius Collegeby a former student. The library waived the fine.[14]
The Buried Stream Geoffrey Faber Middlesbrough Central Library 21 Dec 1962 Oct 2020 58 The poetry anthology was left in the library's returns box. The fine may have been £500 but charges have been suspended during the pandemic.[15]
2001: A Space Odyssey Arthur C. Clarke Riddings Library 11 Oct 1969 August 2023 53 The book was dropped off at Scunthorpe Central Library, which opened five years after the book was borrowed. The person returning the book found it while clearing out a shop they had taken over, in a bag with three books of sheet music for Elizabethan love songs and blues numbers. Book fines had been scrapped across North Lincolnshire that July.[16]
The Metaphysical Poets Jim Hunter Lowestoft Library 24 Sept 1967 May 2019 52 The borrower had taken the book while staying with their parents in the town and later found it while moving house. A note from the borrower said they were "extremely embarrassed". A £100 cheque was included to cover the fine, which went to the library.[17]
Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge atlas Jerwood Library, Trinity Hall, Cambridge Early 1970s November 2021 >50 Its exact borrowing or due date was not known as there are no surviving records. It was returned after a college reunion; the fine would have been around £3,000, but the library had not charged overdue fines for three years.[18]
Tomatoes for Everyone Frank W. Allerton Orkney Library 21 Jan 1974 6 Oct 2023 49 The manual on tomato culture had been in a box, moving from house to house before being returned in "good condition". A 1 pence per day fine would have amounted to £181.55.[19] It was given a new plastic cover an put back out on the library's shelves.[20]
Havelok The Warrior Ian Serraillier Hastings Library 14 Apr 1975 Feb–Mar 2023 48 It was returned during a seven-week books amnesty that lasted until March 2023.[21]
A Confederate General from Big Sur Richard Brautigan Tony Spence Tooting Library 19 Feb 1974 2022 48 The book was sent back by Spence, of Port Moody, British Columbia, Canada, who grew up in Bingley, Yorkshire. He found it in a box of magazines and said he "forgot" to put a note in when he sent it back. He was tracked down by the BBC after their appeal was seen by his wife on a Facebook group.[22]
Learning With Colour Architecture: The Great Art of Building, and The Railway Series No. 22: Small Railway Engines Trewin Copplestone, and Rev. W. Awdry "Andy" Basingstoke Discovery Centre 1972 Sep 2020 48 The two books, the latter being an early Thomas the Tank Engine book, were returned in a Royal Mail parcel. A note from "Andy" apologised for keeping the books when he moved as a child in 1972.[23]
Canoe Building in Glass-Reinforced Plastic Alan Byde Orkney Library 15 Mar 1977 Jul 2024 47 The book was found during a house clearance.[24]
The Sinister Sign Post Franklin W. Dixon Orkney Library 12 Jun 1976 Jul 2022 46 The book was found lying in an attic.[25]
Tolkien's World Randel Helms Central Library, Blackpool 13 Mar 1978 Nov 2023 45 The borrower, an unnamed woman, had worked in a nearby branch of Woolworths in the 1970s and regularly visited the library on her lunch break to borrow stacks of books. She had missed this book, and apologised for it being "a bit late".[26]
Great Prime Ministers John Whittle Manningtree Library 30 Jun 1979 Jan 2024 44 The book was brought in by relatives of its borrower. The late fee was waived.[27]
The Golden Grove, or A Manual of Daily Prayers and Litanies Jeremy Taylor Royal Holloway, University of London library Dec 1975 Apr 2019 43 The prayer book was returned alongside a letter including clues about who had borrowed it, which the library did not publish. The estimated late fine was about £6,278.[28]
Edwin Muir P. H. Butter Orkney Library 24 Oct 1973 Jan 2017 43 It was found in a house clearance, in good condition.[29]
The Cherrys and the Double Arrow William Matthew Scott Henleaze Library 5 Jan 1977 Nov 2019 42 The childrens' book was left in a drop-box with a note and £10, saying it was found in the writer's parents' garage; it was "in a doubtful condition, discoloured and not that good".[30]
To Sea in a Sieve Peter Bull Shetland Library 12 Jul 1973 7 Aug 2020 37 It was handed in to Bungay Community Library, 750 miles from where it was first borrowed.[31]
Manners Make A Difference St John Fisher Catholic High School, Peterborough 27 Feb 1989 April 2021 32 A note with the book said "Sorry! Just 32 years overdue! Call it Catholic guilt." The school's now-abolished 50p per day fine would have meant a total fine of over £800. It was put on display.[32]
Bullies Don't Hurt Anthony Masters "M.M." Salisbury Library 30 Jan 2003 Sep 2021 18 The book was sent back by post from Canada. An anonymous note read, "I deeply apologise for having stolen this book".[33]

United States

[edit]
Title Author(s) Borrowed by Borrowed from Date borrowed Date due Date returned Years overdue Notes
The Law of Nations Emer de Vattel George Washington New York Society Library 5 Oct 1789[34] 2 Nov 1789 20 May 2010[a][35] 221 Washington borrwed the book when the library was sharing a building federal government. Staff discovered the book was missing in 2010 after conducting an inventory of books in the library's 1789-1792 ledger,[34] which had itself been missing until 1934.[35] Overdue fines woud theoretically amount to $300,000. Staff at Washington's Mount Vernon home offered to replace the book with a copy of the same edition; this was done in a ceremony.[34]
History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France William Francis Patrick Napier CS Gates (Union soldier) Washington and Lee University Library 11 Jun 1864[b] Apr 2009 145 The first of four volumes was stolen by Gates in a raid by General David Hunter and his army of West Virginia. Illinois handball coach Mike Dau, a descendant of Gates, returned the book. A potential $52,858 fine was waived.[36]
An Elementary Treatise on Electricity James Clerk Maxwell New Bedford Free Public Library 14 Feb 1904 or 14 Feb 1905 Jul 2023 119 The book was donated in good condition to West Virginia University Libraries and its overdue status was discovered there. The late fee would have been $2,100, but had a maximum of $2.[37][38]
New Chronicles of Rebecca Kate Douglas Wiggin Boise Public Library Nov 1911 Oct–Nov 2021 110 The book was listed as missing in 1912. Though it is unknown where it was kept for over a century, the book was kept in "immaculate" condition. The library had scrapped late fees in 2019.[39][40]
Ivanhoe Walter Scott Fort Collins Public Library 13 Feb 1919 2024 105 The well-annotated book was found in the possession of a woman who got it from from her brother, who found it in their mother's belongings in Kansas. Under the fine of 2 cents per day, the fine when returned would be around $14,000 when adjusted for inflation. The library had stopped enfocing fines in 2020.[41]
Famous Composers Nathan Haskell Dole Saint Paul Public Library 1919 Nov 2023 104 After the book was added to the library in 1914, it was checked out and was one of a third of its books to survive a fire the next year. The book had been returned to the library in 1916. After its later century-long loan it was deemed too delicate to return to circulation.[42]
Shakespeare’s Life of King Henry the Fifth William Shakespeare Lillian L. Burns Paterson Public Library 1 Feb 1923 Sept 2024 101 Denver resident Cyndy Delhaie found the book among those she had inherited from her grandmother Arlene Delhaie in 1995, and shipped it to the library. A projection of a fine based on contemporary fees of 10 cents per day was $3,686.50.[43]
Forty Minutes Late Francis Hopkinson Smith Phoebe Johnson San Francisco Public Library 1917 2017 100 Johnson died one week prior to its due date. Her descendant, Webb Johnson, discovered it in 1996 but kept it in fear of a fine. After missing three library fine amnesties, he returned it as part of a pardon granted by the local library authority; a potential $3,650 fine was waived.[44]
A History of the United States Benson John Lossing John McCormick St Helena Public Library, Napa, California 21 Feb 1927 May 2023 96 Jim Perry found the book in his late wife Sandra Learned Perry's collection; the book was likely owned by her grandfather, McCormick. Perry theoretically owed about $1,756 in fines at one nickel per day.[2]
Youth and Two Other Stories Joseph Conrad Larchmont Public Library 11 Oct 1953 Oct 2023 90 A woman from Virginia found it in her stepfather's belongings and mailed it back to the library. The overdue fee could have been $6,400 at 20 cents per day, but was instead $5 as it had been considered lost after 30 days.[45]
Stravinsky: An Autobiography Igor Stravinsky Woodstock Library 4 Apr 1952 18 Apr 1952 Dec 2024 72 Late fees had been removed in 2021.[46]
Beowulf Chauncey Brewster Tinker (translator) Sewickley Public Library January 1969 Dec 2023 54 The 5 cents per day fine from the time of its borrowing would have accumulated to $1,000, however this was limited to the book's cost of $0.98 as it was presumed missing. The library had since adopted a fine-free policy.[47]
Lombardi: Winning is the Only Thing Jerry Kramer (editor) Benson Memorial Library, Titusville, Pennsylvania 26 Jul 1973 Dec 2024 51 The original borrower returned the book. The library had not charged fines for overdue boks since 2021, and placed the book on display.[48]
The Early Work of Aubrey Beardsley Aubrey Beardsley Worcester Public Library 1973 22 May 1973 2024 51 Obtained by the library in July 1899, a Boston resident returned the book to Cambridge Public Library, which then sent it to Worcester Library. The late fee would have been $2000 if these fees had not been abolished by the library.[49]
Goodbye, Mr. Chips James Hilton Unknown Jul 1970 Dec 2021 51 The book was checked out in July 1970 from an address that is now associated with a shopping plaza, and returned to Flushing Library in Queens, New York City, after the city's library system ended late fees.[50]
Baseball's Zaniest Stars Howard Liss Chuck Hildebrandt Warren Public Library 1974 4 Dec 1974 4 Dec 2024 50 13-year-old Hildebrandt borrowed the book years later decided to return it on the due date's 50th anniversary. He and the book had been erased from the library's system, and he was allowed to keep it. He attempted to raise an approximate equivalent of a fine, $4,564, for Reading Is Fundamental.[51]
Leaves of Grass Walt Whitman Hopewell Regional Library 3 Jun 1974 22 Aug 2024 49 First obtained by the library in 1959, the book was returned almost 50 years later. It would have accumulated a late fee of about $1700 but these had since been dismissed by the library.[52]
The Geller Papers Charles Panati Uri Geller (illusionist) Los Angeles Public Library Jan 1977 Jan 1977 Jun 2024 47 Geller himself checked out the book, about experiments performed on him by the CIA, to show it to a friend. He unknowingly brought it with him to several countries, ending up in Israel, and finally found it in a storage container. His daughter brought the book back to the library.[53]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Only a copy of the same edition of The Law of Nations was given to the library, not the original book.
  2. ^ The book was stolen, not borrowed.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b France-Presse, Agence (2024-05-29). "Book borrowed from Finnish library in 1939 returned 84 years late". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  2. ^ a b c Shaffi, Sarah (2023-05-24). "Long story: book returned to California library nearly a century late". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  3. ^ Webb, Carolyn (2023-06-13). "Graeme's book was 68 years overdue. The State Library waived the $12,000 fine". The Age. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  4. ^ "Donegal library book returned after more than 80 years". BBC News. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  5. ^ McCann, Nuala (2012-05-31). "Oops I forgot - library book returned after 80 years". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  6. ^ Wilson, Davy (2024-11-15). "Christy Brown book returned to Irish library after 53 years". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  7. ^ Staudenmaier, Rebecca (2020-06-09). "Dutch man returns library book after nearly 40 years". DW News. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  8. ^ Roy, Eleanor Ainge (2016-04-29). "Borrower returns library book 67 years late – but escapes $24,000 fine". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  9. ^ "Overdue library book returned to school 120 years late". BBC News. 2016-12-08. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  10. ^ Vinter, Robyn (2024-10-19). "Book returned to Cumbria school library 113 years overdue". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  11. ^ Bedendo, Federica (2024-10-18). "St Bees School book returned after more than 100 years". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  12. ^ "Overdue book returned 73 years late to Fife library". BBC News. 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  13. ^ "Newcastle library book returned 63 years late". BBC News. 2021-07-23. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  14. ^ "Cambridge University library book returned 60 years late". BBC News. 2019-09-26. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  15. ^ "Middlesbrough library book returned 57 years late". BBC News. 2020-10-10. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  16. ^ Airey, Tom (2023-08-04). "2001: A Space Odyssey library book returned 53 years late". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  17. ^ "Overdue library book returned after 52 years". BBC News. 2019-05-21. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  18. ^ "Cambridge University library book returned more than 50 years late". BBC News. 2021-11-03. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  19. ^ Franklin, Beth (2023-10-09). "Tomato guide returned to library almost 50 years after original due date". STV News. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  20. ^ Keynes, Soumaya (2023-10-20). "Forgotten to return your library book? Don't worry about it". Financial Times. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  21. ^ Luck, Flaminia (2023-05-31). "Hastings library book returned 48 years late". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  22. ^ Low, Harry (2022-06-10). "Tooting library waives 48-year fine after book returned from Canada". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  23. ^ "Overdue Basingstoke library books returned after 48 years". BBC News. 2020-10-01. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  24. ^ "Canoe believe it? Book returned to Orkney Library 47 years late". BBC News. 2024-07-24. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  25. ^ "Hardy Boys book returned to Orkney Library 46 years late". BBC News. 2022-07-05. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  26. ^ "Blackpool library book returned after 45 years 'a bit late'". BBC News. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  27. ^ Godfrey-Evans, Henry; Adams, Lewis (2024-01-23). "Manningtree Library receives book returned 44 years overdue". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  28. ^ Marsh, Sarah (2019-04-19). "Book of prayers returned to library 43 years late". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  29. ^ "Book returned to Orkney Library 43 years overdue". BBC News. 2017-01-27. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  30. ^ "Overdue Bristol library book returned after 42 years". BBC News. 2019-11-07. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  31. ^ "Shetland book returned 37 years late to library in Suffolk". BBC News. 2020-08-08. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  32. ^ "Library book about manners returned after 32 years on loan - £800 fine waived". ITV News. 2021-04-20. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
  33. ^ "Library book returned to UK from Canada 18 years late". BBC News. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  34. ^ a b c Flood, Alison (2010-05-20). "George Washington's library book returned, 221 years later". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  35. ^ a b "George Washington's 221-year overdue library book: A timeline". The Week. 2010-05-21. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  36. ^ Flood, Alison (2009-04-20). "Book returned to library 145 years overdue". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  37. ^ "An overdue library book makes a return trip to the shelves — 119 years later". NPR. 2023-07-08. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  38. ^ Mayorquin, Orlando (2023-07-09). "Overdue Book Is Returned to a Library After Nearly 120 Years". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  39. ^ Lukpat, Alyssa (2021-12-01). "After 110 Years, an Overdue Book Is Returned to a Library in Idaho". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  40. ^ Smart, Sara (2021-11-29). "110 years later, a book has finally been returned to Boise library". CNN. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  41. ^ Boorstein, Aaron (2024-03-18). "Overdue Book Returned to Colorado Library After 105 Years". Smithsonian. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  42. ^ Ramirez-Simon, Diana (2023-11-18). "'Incredibly overdue': Minnesota library book returned more than 100 years later". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  43. ^ Mather, Victor (2024-10-24). "This Library Book Was Due in 1923. It Was Returned Last Month". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  44. ^ Kean, Danuta (2017-01-20). "Library book returned a century late in San Francisco". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  45. ^ "Book finally returned to New York library 90 years later - CBS New York". CBS News. 2023-10-13. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  46. ^ "Book checked out of New York Public Library in 1952 finally returned". CBS News. 2025-01-02. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  47. ^ Nelken-Zitser, Joshua. "Somebody returned a copy of 'Beowulf' to a library 54 years after it was checked out. It would have accrued $1,000 in fines". Business Insider. Retrieved 2025-01-10.
  48. ^ Myers, Valerie. "Check it out: Book borrowed in 1973 returned to library, with a donation". USA Today. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  49. ^ Sawyer, Dawn (2024-11-12). "In 1973 a library book was checked out. 51 years later it's finally been returned". CNN. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  50. ^ Cherelus, Gina (2022-03-31). "The Library Ends Late Fees, and the Treasures Roll In". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  51. ^ "Former 'baseball nut' tries to return book to Michigan library 50 years later". The Guardian. 2024-12-14. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
  52. ^ "Better late than never? Library book returned 50 years after due date". Nine News. 2024-09-15. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  53. ^ Looker, Rachel (2024-06-04). "Uri Gellar returns library book - about himself - 47 years late". BBC News. Retrieved 2025-01-09.
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