Overdue Library Book Is Returned 105 Years Late

We’ve all been guilty of keeping a borrowed item a little past its return date. This is especially true if you’ve ever checked out a library book. It’s easy to read the book and forget about it or take such a long time to finish that you’re well past the expected check-in date. In fact, many libraries expect books to be returned late so to keep people from never returning them, they impose late fees or checkout expectations.

This assumption was proved right when Poudre Library in Colorado received a checked-out book after being overdue for more than a century. The missing book came as quite a surprise for employees who received the return, exactly 105 years to the date of its checkout.

A Book With A History

In early 1919, a copy of Arthur Scott’s famed romance novel “Ivanhoe” was checked out of the then-operating Fort Collins Free Public Library. According to the checkout slip, it had only been checked out three times before and its return date was marked February 13, 1919. As fate would have it, the book would not return home for another century.

Annaclaire Crumpton, the library’s digital communications specialist, provided some insight into the book’s travels in an interview with local TV station, KUSA. She shared that an unnamed woman returned the book after finding it in a relative’s belongings.

After the story picked up national news, the returnee was revealed to be Mary Weiss, who confirmed some details on the book’s long history in a blog for Poudre Library. The book was found with her father’s belongings by Weiss’ sister. She believes it was checked out by her great-aunt, great-uncle, or possibly her grandmother and stayed with the family in Colorado for all those years.

100 Years Worth of Late Fees

Along with the check-out slip, the Fort Collins Free Public Library lending rules were found in the front of the book. According to the slip, the late fee on the book was two cents per day, plus a 25 cent messenger fee if the book was sent for. After being checked out for over a century, the book racked up a whopping $760 dollars in late fees. Originally checked out during the Wilson Administration, the fees were adjusted for inflation and came out to about $14,000 in 2024. Luckily for Weiss, the Poudre Library is now a no-fee library and stopped charging for overdue books in November 2020. 

Employees of the library praised Weiss for coming forward with the book, even though it wasn’t her missed return. She felt responsible for the book’s safekeeping and shared that she was also a long-time visitor of Fort Collins Library in her childhood. She confirmed that she has been a library visitor in the country for over 39 years and it felt good to return the book to its rightful home after all this time.

Books Are Timeless

It’s easy to see the meaning and metaphor behind this happy ending. In 1919, someone checked out “Ivanhoe,” originally published in 1819 and set in 12th-century England. The book found its way back to the library in 2024, after staying with one family for over a century. There is a timelessness about books. Their stories can span decades and generations, still catching the interest of new readers every day. Poudre Library confirmed that they have several copies of Ivanhoe in circulation today that are regularly checked out by library users. 

As the book arrived just before the library’s celebration of National Library Week, the staff believed their story represented the values of their library system: curiosity, collaboration, innovation, inclusion, intellectual freedom, and accountability.

Finally Retired

As for this particular copy of the book, Crumpton confirmed that it was returned in mostly good condition, especially when considering the length of the checkout. Weiss says this is a testament to the care and fondness her family has for reading. While this copy won’t be returned to circulation, they are working to find a special place for it in the county. The library team hopes to see it displayed in a local history museum or housed in the library where other visitors can learn about its history. 

The Poudre Library system has a bit of a luck streak for recovering long overdue library books. In 2019, they were mailed a package containing a book checked out in 1978, making it over 40 years overdue. It was sent to them by the very person who checked it out all those years ago and included a regretful message of apology. The library staff remains grateful and optimistic about their borrowers. They’re just happy that the books were well-loved over the years and returned honestly in the end.