Overdue book is returned to Virginia library after a stunning 50 years
A library book that went missing for 50 years has finally been returned.
The overdue book, borrowed in the early 1970s, reappeared decades after its due date at the Hopewell Branch of the Appomattox Regional Library in Hopewell, Virginia.
"Leaves of Grass" by American poet Walt Whitman was due back to the library on June 3, 1974.
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"We can guess that it was checked out two weeks prior, on Monday, May 20th, 1974. In 1974, our library system was established," a library representative told Fox News Digital via email.
A woman told a librarian she found the book while cleaning out her sister’s home and brought it to the library.
"Leaves of Grass" was checked out in 1974 and returned 50 years later to the Hopewell Branch of the Appomattox Regional Library. (Hopewell Branch of the Appomattox Regional Library)
"This is almost certainly the longest overdue book we've ever had returned," said the library representative.
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"If it wasn't for the old card catalog system, which included putting a reusable due date card in a pocket in the back of the book, we would never know how [long] some items are checked out for."
The library estimates the book would cost $1,774 in overdue fees. (Hopewell Branch of the Appomattox Regional Library)
The Hopewell Library no longer charges overdue fines.
"If we'd still been charging fines at 10 cents a day, including holiday closings, this book would have accrued around $1,774 worth of fines! Which, we would not have collected, of course."
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Before this book return, the oldest overdue book was checked out in 2009.
"Everyone enjoyed having the book returned. We think it was sweet of the woman for responsibly returning the item after all this time," said a library representative to Fox News Digital. (Hopewell Branch of the Appomattox Regional Library)
The book checked out five years ago was "The Dilbert Future: Thriving on stupidity in the twenty-first century," which is a cartoon self-help and joke book.
"Everyone enjoyed having the book returned. We think it was sweet of the woman for responsibly returning the item after all this time."
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"Several of our employees were born and raised in this area, so they've had fun telling us what the library used to be like in the ‘70s, ’80s and '90s," said the representative.
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