Man returns book to library almost 100 years late (but fortunately does not have to pay a fine)

An American man has returned a history book to the library almost a hundred years late. He thinks his wife’s grandfather borrowed it in 1927. The library finds it so special that the book is on display.

Nick WensveenSource: AD

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The library of Saint Helena in the US state of California shares on Instagram that the book has been returned. “How great is this? Someone borrowed this from our library 96 years ago,” the library writes. “It just goes to show that it’s never too late to return your book.” The book is now on display at the entrance to the library.

This is a history book from 1881 A history of the United States is called and was written by Benson Lossing. When the library discovered the return, the staff wanted to know who returned the book. It brought the story to the attention of the US media to find that person.

Wife’s grandfather’s book

The honest person who returned the book turned out to be Jim Perry. “I thought the book was like my book,” he says. He believes that John McCormick, his late wife’s grandfather, loaned the book out in 1927 and never returned it. When he died in 1963 at the age of 91, his youngest daughter was given the book. She gave it back to Sandra Perry, who passed away in 2015.

Perry found the book by chance. “I was cleaning the house and getting rid of things that weren’t being used,” he says. “This box was in a cool place in our house where we kept books. I thought it would be nice to return the book, but I didn’t realize it would have a special meaning for the staff.”

An advantage for Perry is that the library no longer issues fines if books are returned too late. Until 2019, you had to pay five cents for each day your book was late. Then Perry would have to pay 1,500 euros.