For anybody who is fond of books or reading, libraries are a place that they frequent often. And for anyone familiar with libraries and how they work, passing the due date for a book to be returned is not something that should be done and is frankly looked down upon. But for this one anonymous sender, the due date simply doesn't matter and read on to find out why.
Somebody recently mailed a book back to the UCL or University College London library after a surprising 50 whole years! Yes, you read that right. And what is even funnier is that it came with a note that it is quite hilarious to read and wittily written. “Dear Librarian, I fear this book is some 50 years overdue! Please don’t just throw it out, now that I’ve taken the time and trouble to return it. It must be an ‘antique’ by now,” part of it reads.
According to the Evening Standard, the book is an 1875 edition of a play called Querolus, which was due to be returned to UCL Libraries in the summer of 1974. The university’s librarian, Suzanne Traue, says her “jaw dropped” when she read the note after discovering the book. It had been posted back anonymously and she found it upon returning to the library after 18 months of working from home. The Evening Standard also reports, “At a rate of 10p per day, the library fine for the book’s late return would have been £1,254.”
See the photo of the book and the note right here:
{{/usCountry}}See the photo of the book and the note right here:
{{/usCountry}}This post was shared on Twitter by UCL News:
And the post has garnered several reactions like, “I, too, would have returned this book anonymously. Cost of living is rising and all that!” “Sorry but if the library is going to charge me £1,200 for an overdue book I am keeping it, I'm trying to return a book not buy the library,” reads a quote tweet.
What are your thoughts on this long overdue library book? How would you have reacted if you were in place of the librarian?