There are many reasons why we borrow books from the library. Students, of all ages, take out books to study for an exam or to supplement their education outside of the classroom. College and graduate students borrow books to write their research papers. The public may take out books to read for pleasure, especially when that bestselling book is just too expensive for their budgets. Most of us have returned a book late to the library and paid a small fine making it the end of the story.
However, a book that is returned to the library 68 years late will become a news story. When she was a child, a patron took out the book, Myths and Legends of Maoriland by A.W. Reed on December 17, 1948, from the Auckland New Zealand Epsom Community Library, and forgot to return it. She moved away from Auckland and mistakenly took the book with her. It turns out that this book is very valuable, for it is one of New Zealand’s most acknowledged works about tradition and mythology of the Maori people.
This overdue book would have accrued charges of over $24,000, but this patron, who is now in her golden years, is very lucky that the kind librarians waived the fees. Even though most of us will probably never return a book so late to the library, we will still be responsible for paying fines if it is not returned on the due date.
