Someone Returned A Library Book 111 Years Late & The Late Fees Would Have Been Massive
Must have been some book! 📖
After more than a century, a missing book is finally back on the shelves of an Idaho library.
The book, New Chronicles of Rebecca, was last checked out from Boise's Carnegie Public Library in 1910, and since then, its whereabouts have been unknown. In fact, it was gone for so long that the library had even lost record of owning it, according to Idaho News 6.
The library shared the news on their Facebook page, where they revealed that the individual who checked the book out would have owed the library over US$800 had the library not become fine-free in 2019.
"With a fine of two cents per day for 111 years, whoever checked out this book would owe $803," the caption read. "Thank goodness the Boise Public Libraries are now fine free!"
The reason why it took 111 years for the book to make its back to the library is a mystery.
"You know you kind of wondered what its story was and how it ended up there. Was it in somebody's box, did somebody pass away, did they move you know, what happened? We'll never know but you could imagine all types of fun stories about it," library assistant Anne Marie Martin told Idaho News 6.
The book was initially returned to the Garden City Library, but it was transferred to the Boise branch because that's where it was originally checked out.
When it finally made its way back to its original home, library workers realized just how overdue the book was.
Finding out who checked out the book is almost impossible, given that all paper records from that time are gone.
Despite not knowing what happened to the book over the past 100 years, one thing is for sure: whoever had it took great care of it as it's still in great condition.