Library Book Finally Returned — 90 Years After it was Due

The family of one reader who checked out a library book in 1933 finally returned it on their behalf —  nearly 90 years later. 

In a social media post on Wednesday, the Larchmont Public Library – located in Westchester County, New York – said a copy of “Youth and Two Other Stories” by Joseph Conrad was returned by mail last month. 

The post credited a woman named Joanie Morgan for returning the book, saying she was the one who “discovered the book among her step-father’s belongings.”

The book had originally been due back on October 11, 1933. If a book is not returned by its due date, it’s considered “lost,” according to the post. And the person who checked out the book begins incurring fees. 

“Now, I know what you are all thinking; I wonder how much that would be in overdue fees? At twenty cents a day, it seems like the fine could easily have reached over $6,400,” the library said in its post.

But if a “lost” book does get returned, the fine reverts to the maximum fee, which is $5.