Late fee surprise: Book returned to New York library after 90 years

A book, which had been borrowed from the Larchmont Public Library in New York, was returned after a staggering 90 years. The book in question is Joseph Conrad's 1925 work, 'Youth and Two Other Stories,' and it was initially checked out in 1933. This fascinating occurrence came to the library's attention when Joanie Morgan of Virginia reached out to them in July, revealing that she had found the book among her stepfather's belongings. Subsequently, she sent the book back at the end of September, as confirmed by Larchmont librarian Caroline Cunningham.

Remarkably, the late fee imposed by the library for this 90-year overdue book amounted to just $5. This peculiar incident is believed to be the lengthiest overdue check-out in the history of the Larchmont library since its inception in 1926. Ms. Cunningham pointed out that the individual who had borrowed the book, Jimmie Ellis, was a resident of the village at the time.

"This was quite a surprise for us, for sure," expressed the librarian, emphasizing the unexpected nature of the return. She shared her initial thoughts when contacted by Ms. Morgan, saying, "At first, I thought, are you calling the right library because we actually get a lot of phone calls from Virginia because there's a Larchmont library in Virginia."


Jimmie Ellis, the original borrower of the book, resided in the village with his first wife and two children and passed away in 1978. According to a letter Ms. Morgan sent to the library, their house was located a mere two blocks away from Larchmont Public Library. Given that Jimmie was a writer and an ardent reader himself, it is highly likely that he encouraged his sons to engage in regular library visits.

As for the decision to impose such a modest late fee, the library clarified on its Facebook page that, ordinarily, patrons incur a 20-cent charge for each day a book is overdue. However, the library sets a cap on fines at $5. When a library book remains unreturned for 30 days, it is categorized as 'lost,' and the patron is billed for the book's initial cost. Nevertheless, when the book is eventually returned, the fine reverts back to the maximum amount of five dollars, as stated in the library's post.