What would a week be without a good overdue book story and mystery. (-:
Stunned librarians in Dinnington, South Yorkshire, could not believe it when they received a package containing a Penguin first edition copy of Quatermass and the Pit, by Nigel Kneale, which was borrowed in September 1965.
There was no clue as to who sent the parcel but the long-term borrower need not have worried about the fine as Rotherham Council has a policy of limiting all penalties to £6 a book. The library service currently charges 15p a day for overdue books so, if there was no £6 limit, the borrower would have been liable to a fine of around £2,500 at today's rates.
[Snip]
She said the identity of the borrower remains a mystery and the only clue is that it was posted from somewhere in Sheffield. Library records do not go back to the 1960s and the paper records from that time were destroyed during computerisation.
Ms Alison Lawrie [principal library assistant] said: "The person who posted it back to us would not be in any trouble whatsoever. In fact I would really like to know where the book has been living all those years - in a loft or garage, in someone's bedroom or in storage. They've obviously taken care of it. Other than the natural browning on the pages, it's in unbelievable condition.
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