82-Year-Overdue Book Returned: A Look at Library Fines, Lost Books, and Reading’s Importance
A book titled “Your Child, His Family, and Friends,” borrowed in 1943 from the San Antonio Public Library, was recently returned after nearly 82 years. The book was sent from Oregon with a letter explaining that the borrower’s grandmother had likely taken the book to Mexico City and it was recently found after her father’s passing. The library, which eliminated overdue fines in 2021, would have charged a significant fee, considering the three-cent-a-day fine, and the impact of inflation. The library plans to display the book before donating it to the Friends of the San Antonio Public Library for sale.
John Q. Hosedrinker