Book Returned To Library 47 Years Later

A Minnesota man returned a book to a library, 47 years after checking it out.

in walked into his local library and took out a book that subsequently got lost during a move.

The library said he returned it anonymously through the mail with an apology letter and a donation to cover the cost of a new book.

The book was “Chilton’s Foreign Car Repair Manual” and was checked out in 1975. It included the following explanation.

“In the mid-1970s, I was living in [Lake Elmo] and was working on an old Mercedes Benz. I took out this book for reference. A few months later I moved and apparently, the book got packed up in the move. Forty-seven years later I found it … in a trunk with other interesting things from the ‘70s. It’s a little overdue but I thought you might want it back. My apologies to anyone in Lake Elmo who was working on an old Benz in the last 47 years. I probably can’t afford the overdue charge but I will send you enough for a new book.”

The librarians contacted were just happy to have the book back, adding that they no longer charge daily late fees, but only flat replacement fees if the book was lost or damaged.

They intend to use the money to buy a more updated version of the book.

Categorised in: Good News

This post was written by Cheryl Johnstone