A overdue library book makes a return trip to the shelves — 119 years later

A book checked out in 1904 from the New Bedford Free Public Library has been returned after 119 years.

The surprising find: A librarian in West Virginia came across the book, “An Elementary Treatise on Electricity” by James Clerk Maxwell, in a donated collection and noticed it had been borrowed from the New Bedford library and never returned.
* The book was returned in excellent condition and was likely kept safe on a bookshelf over the years.

Historical context: The book, a treatise on electricity, was first published in 1881 and checked out in 1904, a major period of electrical discovery.
* The book’s checkout coincided with the nation’s lead-up to its second modern World Series, President Theodore Roosevelt’s re-election, the Wright brothers’ first flight, and New York City’s first subway line.

Preservation & value: The survival and return of the book reasserts the enduring value and resilience of the printed book, according to New Bedford Public Library Director Olivia Melo.
* Melo stated: “The value of the printed book is it’s not digital, it’s not going to disappear. Just holding it, you get the sense of someone having this book 120 years ago and reading it, and here it is in my hands.”

By the numbers: The New Bedford library has a 5-cent-per-day late fee, but thankfully, in such cases, the library caps the late fee at $2.
* According to the daily late fee rate, the return of the book 119 years overdue would have resulted in a late fee of over $2,100.

View original article on NPR

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