A book published in 1899 which was 51 years overdue has finally been returned to a public library in Massachusetts.
The book, titled The Early Work of Aubrey Beardsley, was returned to the Worcester public library earlier in November. It had been checked out in 1973, with a due date of 22 May 1973, making its return just more than five decades late.
The book was found somewhere in Boston by a local resident and taken to the Cambridge public library, the Worcester branch said in a statement. Staffers at the Cambridge library realized it did not belong to their library and contacted the branch in Worcester.
“Returning to its rightful home, 51 years later,” a note inside the book from the Cambridge public library reads.
Thank you to @cambridgepl & a Boston resident who made sure "The Early Work of Aubrey Beardsley" was returned to its rightful place in our collection after 51 years. Published in 1899, it was borrowed in 1973, with a return date of May 22, 1973 stamped in the due date card. pic.twitter.com/TI7CSLo87v
— Worcester Public Library (@Worcester_PL) November 1, 2024
Alex London, the genealogy and local history librarian at the Worcester public library, told the Telegram & Gazette that it was a “rarity that someone found this”.
He also said it was rare for such a book to be “in such good condition”, adding that it was the longest-overdue book he had encountered during his time at the library.
A manager at Cambridge’s library, Kathy Penny, told the WGBH local news station that it was the “kind of feelgood situation that us in the library world live for”.
The book includes illustrations and drawings by Aubrey Vincent Beardsley, an English illustrator and author.
Beardsley’s black ink drawings were inspired by Japanese woodcuts, according to the Tate Museum, and he was the leading figure in the aesthetic movement, which also included Oscar Wilde.
Luckily, the Worcester public library no longer charges fines for late books.
On its website, the library states that its mission is to “make services and information available to everyone, and they believe that charging overdue fines goes against that mission”.
