82-year overdue book returns to San Antonio Public Library
An 82-year delay has ended for a book at the San Antonio Public Library. The title, Your Child, His Family, and Friends, was checked out in July 1943 and only recently came back to the library, accompanied by a letter explaining how it resurfaced. The writer said the item was found among their father’s belongings after his death and that it’s believed the grandmother checked it out when the father was 11 years old.
The library no longer imposes late fees for overdue books, a policy that has been in place since 2021. The book is now on display at the library’s central branch and will eventually be sold in a used bookstore, with proceeds supporting the San Antonio Public Library.
Longer-lost books have surfaced elsewhere as well. In Idaho, a copy of New Chronicles of Rebecca, checked out in 1910, was received by a library in 2021 and returned in good condition. Minnesota saw a 1919 title, Famous Composers, come back in 2023 after being overdue for more than a century. The record for the longest overdue item goes to An Elementary Treatise on Electricity, checked out in 1907 in Massachusetts and later found in a book donation to a rare books curator at West Virginia University in 2023.
The returned book in San Antonio serves as a heartening reminder of the enduring connections libraries maintain with generations of readers, even as shelves and policies evolve over time. In short, these stories illustrate how libraries continue to be a living link between past readers and present communities. A note of gratitude accompanies the recent return, and the item’s new life will support library programs and access for future patrons.