A library book taken out in 1926 has finally made its way back to the Ocean County Library in Toms River, New Jersey. Discover its remarkable journey.
Have you ever had a late library book? Have you ever found yourself offering a sheepish apology and a late fee to your local library? Many of us have. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, although maybe don’t go making a habit out of it.
But what about a book that’s a whole year overdue? Or two years? a decade? Or even longer? At one New Jersey library, the staff was recently surprised by a book that was far more overdue than this – it was returned just shy of a century after it was first taken out.
99 Years Off the Shelf
Back in 1926, a man named Charles Tilton wanted to make something for his daughter. This wouldn’t be a problem – as a boat builder and a carpenter, Tilton had all the tools, skills, and know-how. ‘But still, ’ he thought, ‘I’d better get a book so I can be sure I’m doing it right.’
So he visited his local library in Toms River, New Jersey, and he took out Home Made Toys for Girls and Boys, by Albert Neely Hall.
The library Charles visited was the Ocean County Library in Toms River. The organization had only recently opened its doors to the public a year before, in 1925, and they were only too happy to help out a member of the local community.
Unfortunately, the book and the library would not be reunited for a very long time after that.
A Reunion a Century in the Making
It was March 2025 when Mary Cooper stepped through the door at the Tom’s River branch of the Ocean County Library and explained she had something for them.
The team at the library probably didn’t think too much of it until they saw what they were dealing with. When they opened Home Made Toys for Girls and Boys, they saw that it was last checked out – March 1926.
Mary Cooper is Charles Tilton’s granddaughter – the daughter of the child Tilton was making a present for all those years ago.
She explained the sad story about how the book got misplaced, describing how Tilton unfortunately passed away in 1927, and how the book was passed down across the generations in the following years.
Until it finally made its way back home.
Pride of Place in the Library
As you might expect, the team didn’t put the book back into circulation straight away. In fact, it looks like the title won’t be returning to the library shelves at all, and certainly won’t be getting loaned out to homes around New Jersey.
Instead, it is going to become a displayed exhibit at the library. At the Tom’s River branch of Ocean County Library, prized possessions are kept in the Hugh B. Wheeler reading room. Here, visitors can go to enjoy private reflection, study, and research, and also engage with the local history and culture.
While Albert Neely Hall’s work is still in print and is still available from bookstores, an early edition like this one is quite a collector’s item. Neely Hall himself passed away in 1959, after a long career as a craftsman and author. His work has brought joy and endeavor into the lives of many like-minded souls, and hopefully, Charles Tilton also had the chance to enjoy this fine work.
Kept in a locked glass display case in the reading room, certainly, this particular copy of Home Made Toys for Girls and Boys won’t be wandering out of the library doors again anytime soon.
A Welcome Return
After some quick calculations, it was found that Mary Cooper owed Ocean County Library around $18,000 in overdue fees. So Mary made her way over to the bank and took out a new mortgage on her home…
No, of course, this didn’t happen. The library doesn’t charge late fees anymore, and they were very happy that Mary had brought such a precious item back to the library.
It’s also a very well-timed return. The library has just celebrated its 100th birthday, and now they have the perfect chance to display something that represents this long and proud history. Home Made Toys for Girls and Boys may have been long overdue, but it’s home now.
Anyone interested in checking out a unique part of New Jersey’s book lending history can head down to Ocean County Library on Washington Street, Toms River, NJ, and ask to take a look at the display in the Hugh B. Wheeler reading room.
Remember to sign up for a library card and support the work of this venerable local institution. Just try to bring any books you borrow back on time, if you can.
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John Burns
John has been writing ever since he was small, and is delighted to be able to make his living as a writer now he’s not quite so small. Literature has always been a big part of John’s life, and he loves sharing this passion with readers from all over the world.
