When was the last time you returned an expired library book?
For a BC man, it took 48 years and 107 days.
Staff at the Tooting Library in London, UK, were shocked when they received a book on Monday that appeared to have been last reviewed on February 19, 1974.
The book, A Confederate General from Big Sur by Richard Brautigan, arrived in the mail from Port Moody, BC.
“We received a mysterious package in the mail … it said I had just returned from Port Moody, but there was no other information, no note,” said Christopher Arnsby, chief operating officer of Wandsworth Libraries.
Wandsworth Libraries have a new book with more time. Returned after 48 years and 107 days. Thanks to whoever sent it to the Tooting Library from Port Moody in Canada. The question is, how did you get here? pic.twitter.com/5qb1wCHPod
– @ wandsworthlibs
Library staff decided to post on Twitter to see if anyone could tell them where they came from.
Because the library did not have a computer system until the late 1980s, Arnsby said they had no records from before that time and did not know the book was missing.
He said he believes this could be his book later returned.
“As far as I know, this is the current record holder,” he told CBC.
Christopher Arnsby, operations manager at Wandsworth Bookstores in London, photographed in Zoom holding a copy of Richard Brautigan’s A Confederate General from Big Sur. (Michelle Gomez / CBC News)
He said the fine for the overdue book would be about £ 6,000 (about $ 9,440 at the time of publication) if the library did not limit fees to £ 8.50 (about $ 13). But Arnsby said they would waive the fine for the case.
“It seemed a little unreasonable to charge a fine since I had gone through all the trouble of returning it from Canada.”
When asked what he would like to say to the sender, Arnsby replied:
“Thank you so much for returning the book. They kept it for so long that I hope they read it more than once and I hope they enjoyed it.”
Mystery solved
The man who returned the book was Tony Spence, a former BC provincial court judge who resides in Belcarra, bordering Port Moody to the northwest. A BBC journalist located him via a Port Moody’s Facebook group.
“We were doing a deep purge, a kind of Marie Kondo-type thing,” Spence told CBC.
He said he found a box in the corner of his crawl space that was full of magazines from when they lived in London, along with a very outdated library book.
The book was last checked on 19 February 1974 and the Tooting Library in London received the book in the mail on Monday. Christopher Arnsby said they have waived the fines expired for the book. (Wandsworth Libraries)
Spence said he doesn’t remember looking or reading the book, though he does remember reading a different book by the same author, Trout Fishing in America.
“He was a cult figure at the time, quite well known,” Spence said.
Spence intended to include a note in the package when he mailed it in April. But when he got to the post office, he realized he had forgotten to write it down and couldn’t be bothered, he said.
“I was going to apologize to all those people who have controlled him for the last 50 years.”
Tony Spence, a retired BC provincial court judge, says he doesn’t remember reviewing or reading the book that came back more than 48 years after its expiration date. (Submitted by Tony Spence)
Spence said he wants to give other people a chance to read it. Wait for the library to show it so people can rediscover the author.
Arnsby said that given the interest in the book’s journey, the library will place the book in a display case along with snippets of related news for the time being.
He said it was returned in very good condition and can be put back directly on the shelves after the screen.
“I would definitely encourage other people to check their shelves and see if there’s anything on the lookout … take them back to the Tooting Library and borrow them, but try to get them back inside the Tooting Library. limit, “Arnsby said.
Spence said he is happy that the book has arrived safely and that others can enjoy it.
“I hope they get a little laugh out of it, and I think they did it because they decided to give up late fines.”