In a recent amusing incident in a public library in New Hampshire, USA, a man returned a magazine that was 132 years overdue. According to the original rules, the man should have paid a fine of $12,000, but due to the library’s one-year fine amnesty policy, he was not required to pay any fees.
The Concord Public Library in Concord, the capital of New Hampshire, shared this story on social media. The library mentioned that since announcing the one-year amnesty on fines, they have seen many people returning overdue books with smiles on their faces.
Despite expecting long-overdue books to be returned, the library was surprised to receive a magazine from the late 19th century. The man named John returned a copy of “The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine” from September 1894.
John revealed that the magazine had been in his family for decades, but he was unsure of its original source. Upon learning about the library’s amnesty policy, he decided to return the magazine to its rightful home.
The library had previously announced the implementation of a one-year fine freeze policy starting on September 1, 2026, and they will assess the impact of the amnesty on borrowing and returns.
The library wrote in its social media post, “Luckily, he didn’t have to pay $12,055 for being 48,220 days overdue.”
Established in 1873, the Concord Public Library was only about 20 years old when the magazine was borrowed. The magazine, being a valuable historical artifact, will no longer be circulated and is likely to be displayed in the library’s “Concord Room” as a local historical material.
Similar incidents have occurred in Colorado as well. In a public library in northern Colorado, a book borrowed in 1919 and overdue for 105 years was returned in 2024. Due to the library’s policy of waiving fines in recent years, the borrower was not penalized, despite the original fine amounting to over $10,000.
It is heartening to see such acts of goodwill towards libraries, ensuring that valuable literary treasures are returned for future generations to appreciate and enjoy.