‘Nearly 82 years overdue’: Book borrowed in 1939 retuned to library

In a bizarre incident, a book borrowed from a library in Canada was returned 82 years later.

When Jordan Musycsyn was busy working in his home, little did he expect to find a copy of ‘The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle’, borrowed from Sydney Public Library in 1939. According to an Instagram post by the library, Musycsyn found the book authored by Hugh Lofting under the insulation in his attic.

Musycsyn told CBC News that the lady who owned the house had mostly likely borrowed the book as her family lived in it for almost a century. “She would have been like 10 years old or something, so I just thought it was interesting,” he said.

Read the full post here:

Fortunately, The Cape Breton Regional Library stopped charging late fees for books last year. “Good thing there’s no late fees since this one’s 82 years overdue,” Musycsyn added.

A picture of the borrowed book and its expected return date was posted on the library’s official social media page along with a caption that read, “A resident of Sydney recently made a surprising discovery in his home when he found a library book that was overdue . . . nearly 82 years overdue. Just one more reason to celebrate the elimination of overdue fees!”

While the library did not disclose the identity of the woman who borrowed the book, they asked its followers to reach out to them if they knew her.

“Here are a few hints: her initials were V.M., she was born in the 1920s, and at the time the item was loaned she lived on Centre Street in Sydney. If you think you might know the identity of the borrower, please send us an email,” they added in the post.