BETTER LATE THAN NEVER

Library Book Returned 100 Years Late

“It has reached a point where it’s not just an old book, it’s an artifact.”

A library book that was more than 100 years overdue has finally been returned in St. Paul, Minnesota. Someone found the book, “Famous Composers,” in a relative’s possessions and returned it to the library where it had been checked out in 1919. St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter jokingly tweeted on Saturday that there would be no fine for the book. The book is unlikely to go back into circulation because it is in delicate condition, but the St. Paul Public Library’s digital library coordinator, John Larson, said the library will probably hang onto it. “It has reached a point where it’s not just an old book, it’s an artifact,” he said. “It has a little bit of history to it.”