Library Book Returned 98 Years Late in Cincinnati

A copy of Bertrand W. Sinclair’s Wild West was returned nearly a century after its 1926 due date to the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library. Discovered while cleaning out the home of a deceased relative, the book had been missing for over 35,000 days. Reference librarian Christopher Smith said it’s the oldest overdue return he’s seen, noting that the book was in surprisingly good condition. The library no longer charges late fees, but if they did, the fine would have totaled around $730. A new copy had been purchased in the 1920s, but Smith decided to recatalog the original and return it to circulation. There was no indication the book was ever discarded or decommissioned. Smith suspects the original borrower either loved the book or simply forgot about it. He praised the return as a rare and meaningful moment in library history, saying it’s remarkable the book didn’t end up in the trash after so long.

Source: NPR Network