A woman borrowed a book from the library. 84 years later, her son returned it

A library in Louisiana has waived its $3 (£2.30) late fee for a man who returned his mum’s library book over 80 years later.

The man’s mum had gone to Shreve Memorial Library in Louisiana in 1934 when she was just 11 years old and took out a book called Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters.

A collection of poems by dead residents of a fictional town called Spoon River, the book remained in her possession for 84 years.

Writing on their Facebook page, the library said:

Better late than never, right? We had a patron return a book to our Main Branch yesterday that his mother checked out in 1934 when she was 11 years old. That means the book is only 84 years overdue!

The man had been cleaning his parents’ home when he found the book and decided to take it back, library assistant manager Jackie Morales told CNN.

‘He was surprised that [his mum] still had it in her possession. She was very responsible.’

The first edition book was apparently decommissioned, and the library purged its accounts in 1934, meaning no late fees were incurred. A library official told AP News that the copy is in 'pretty rough shape, so probably not worth much.

Morales, meanwhile has sound advice:

It’s never too late to return your library books.

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