Libraries exist to provide a means for everyone to read books. Although free, books must be returned on or before the due date to avoid paying for late returns. It is a common recurrence for readers to return the books several days late. However, a book gets returned to a public library in Helsinki, Finland, over eight decades past its due date.

A Finnish copy of Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Refugees," originally written in English, was returned to Helsinki Central Library Oodi's lobby on May 27, 84 years after its due date on December 26, 1939. Containing the library card, the staff believed that the borrower was a businessman from the Pursimiehenkatu area of the Finnish capital.

Heini Strand, the librarian who received the book, said they did not ask about the relationship of the person who returned the book to the original borrower. They occasionally receive books that are 10 years past their due date. Strand claimed that families often discovered these books after going through their dead relatives' belongings.

The book was possibly returned eight decades late because the Soviet Union attended Finland in November 1939. Strand noted that the war commenced a month before the book's due date. Hence, returning the books was probably the last thing on the borrower's mind.

Going Back to Circulation

Considering the book's great condition, it may now be available for public borrowing. Strand mentioned that Helsinki Central Library Oodi has two copies of Doyle's book, adding that they send the returned book to the main library in Pasilia. Once moved, the people in the main library can decide whether the book will be added to the collection. If taken in, readers can borrow the book. 

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Penalty for Overdue Books

Although the maximum fine for an overdue book at the Helsinki library is €6 ($6.50), no fine was given since the book is not in the library's system anymore, which had undergone numerous times since the book was first loaned.

Siina Tiuraniemi, Strand's colleague at Helsinki Central Library Oodi, noted that their purpose is to promote reading and provide access to books to all. She added, 'The library is a very humane place, and people in Finland use the libraries a lot and understand how they work. Library books belong to all of us and late returns are not a big problem.'

Similar Cases of Overdue Books

This instance of a book being returned decades later is not as rare as you might think. A book was returned 105 years past its due date at Poudre Libraries in Fort Collins, Colorado. The book, "Ivanhoe" by Sir Walter Scott, was checked out three times before disappearing after the last time it was loaned on February 13, 1919.

Despite its worn-out state, the book was still intact. Annaclaire Crumpton, an employee at Poudre Libraries, said that the book had been annotated, showing that it was well-loved by the borrower.

Another similar case was the 1905 poetry book "Heart Throbs," which was returned to the Downtown Newark branch of the Licking County Library after the library lowered late fines for overdue books. The book should have been returned on November 27, 1931, one month after being loaned. However, it was returned on February 9, making it 93 years overdue.

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