{"id":2478121,"date":"2025-08-24T11:09:02","date_gmt":"2025-08-24T15:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/overdue-book-checked-out-during-wwii-makes-its-way-back-to-library-i-hope-there-is-no-late-fee\/"},"modified":"2025-08-24T11:12:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-24T15:12:08","slug":"overdue-book-checked-out-during-wwii-makes-its-way-back-to-library-i-hope-there-is-no-late-fee","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/overdue-book-checked-out-during-wwii-makes-its-way-back-to-library-i-hope-there-is-no-late-fee\/","title":{"rendered":"Overdue Book Checked Out During WWII Makes Its Way Back to Library: &#8216;I Hope There Is No Late Fee&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">38<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Foverdue-book-checked-out-during-wwii-makes-its-way-back-to-library-i-hope-there-is-no-late-fee%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2478121&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A library book borrowed from the San Antonio Public Library in 1943 was returned 82 years overdue.The book, titled *Your Child, His Family, and Friends* by Frances Bruce Strain, was mailed back to the library from Oregon in 2025 along with a letter explaining that it had been found among the belongings of the sender&#8217;s recently deceased father. The sender mentioned that the book was originally borrowed by their grandmother, who had taken it with her when she moved to Mexico City to work at the US Embassy.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the San Antonio Public Library no longer charges late fees, so no fines are expected despite the long delay. The returned book will be exhibited at the library during August before being sold to benefit the library through their used bookstore.<\/p>\n<p>While 82 years is a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >notable overdue period<\/a>, it is indeed not the longest on record. Other historic library books have been returned after centuries, such as one borrowed in 1668 from Sidney Sussex College in England, returned 288 years late.Famous figures like George washington have also been known to have overdue library books.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A book borrowed from the San Antonio Library in 1943 has been returned 82 years later.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;A library book 82 years overdue made its way back to SAPL!&rdquo; the library posted on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/DNV36W1MehQ\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;ig_rid=f6293b46-00e3-4982-ac62-4c3436d23761\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;&lsquo;Your Child, His Family, and Friends&rsquo; by Frances Bruce Strain was checked out in 1943 and due back on July 30 of that year. The book was received by mail at the library in June 2025 from Oregon with a letter, after being discovered in a late patron&rsquo;s belongings,&rdquo; the post said.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;After the recent death of my father, I inherited a few boxes of books he left behind,&rdquo; the person wrote in a letter posted on Instagram.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The book must have been borrowed by my Grandmother, Maria del Socorro Aldrete Flores (Cortez),&rdquo; the person wrote.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In that year, she transferred to Mexico City to work at the US Embassy. She must have taken the book with her, and some 82 years later, it ended up in my possession,&rdquo; the letter added.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I hope there is no <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/federal-judge-axes-cdc-ban-on-evictions-constitution-persists-despite-pandemic\/\" title=\"Federal Judge Axes CDC Ban On Evictions: Constitution \u2018Persists\u2019 Despite Pandemic\">late fee<\/a> for it because Grandma won&rsquo;t be able to pay for it anymore,&rdquo; the letter said.<\/p>\n<p>According to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mysapl.org\/Events-News\/News-Media-Center\/News\/ArtMID\/17281\/ArticleID\/28899\/Library-Book-Returned-Nearly-82-Years-After-Due-Date\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news release<\/a> posted on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-dings-supreme-court-and-trump-at-lbj-library-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Biden dings Supreme Court and Trump at LBJ ... - Washington Examiner\">library&#038;rsquo<\/a>;s website, it no longer charges late fees.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-century-overdue-library-book-finally-returned-minnesota\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">book<\/a> will be displayed in the library during the month of August.<\/p>\n<p>After that, &ldquo;it will be donated to the Friends of San Antonio Public Library for sale in the Book Cellar used book store in the basement at Central Library,&rdquo; the release said.<\/p>\n<p>Profits from that event benefit the library.<\/p>\n<p>With the 1943 fine of three cents per day, the fine &mdash; if one was owed &mdash; would have been almost $900, according to the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/library-book-returned-san-antonio-82-years-f828a745de1b250d9f8fb8b50dbc8e48\">Associated Press<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although 82 years is a long time, it is far from the oldest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/man-tries-returning-library-book-55-years-overdue-old-middle-school\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">library book<\/a> to be returned.<\/p>\n<p>A book borrowed from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sid.cam.ac.uk\/worlds-most-overdue-library-book\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sidney Sussex College in England<\/a> in 1668 was not returned for 288 years. The book, a history of the Germanic peoples, was borrowed by Colonel Robert Walpole whose son, Sir Robert Walpole, was the first Prime Minister of Great Britain.<\/p>\n<p>Library scofflaws come from all walks of life. George Washington checked out a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/king-charles-finally-cuts-off-spoiled-prince-andrew-leaving-his-home-moldy-and-cracking-apart\/\" title=\"King Charles Finally Cuts off Spoiled Prince Andrew, Leaving His Home Moldy and Cracking Apart\">book called &#038;ldquo<\/a>;The Law of Nations&rdquo; by Emmerich de Vattel on Oct. 5, 1789, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/theweek.com\/articles\/494173\/george-washingtons-221year-overdue-library-book-timeline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Week.<\/a> The book was never returned, although Mount Vernon did get the New York Library a replacement in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Then there was the anonymous borrower of James Clerk Maxwell&rsquo;s &ldquo;An Elementary Treatise on Electricity&rdquo; who checked it out of the New Bedford Free Public Library on Feb. 14, 1904, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2023\/07\/08\/1186635180\/overdue-library-book-119-years\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NPR<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>The book was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/library-floored-book-returned-84-years-past-due\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">returned in 2023<\/a> after Stewart Plein, curator of rare books at West Virginia University Libraries, found it with some donations.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;This came back in extremely good condition,&rdquo; New Bedford Public Library Director Olivia Melo said at the time. &ldquo;Someone obviously kept this on a nice bookshelf because it was in such good shape and probably got passed down in the family.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A book borrowed from the San Antonio Library in 1943 has finally been returned after 82 years. The library shared on Instagram, &#8220;A library book 82 years overdue made its way back to SAPL!&#8221; The book, titled *Your Child, His Family, and Friends* by Frances Bruce Strain, was originally checked out in 1943 and was due on July 30 of that year. It arrived by mail in June 2025 from Oregon along with a letter explaining it had been found among a late patron&#8217;s belongings<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2478122,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Old-Books.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[61887,5318,61885,61886,12223],"class_list":["post-2478121","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-late-fee","tag-library","tag-overdue-book","tag-returned-book","tag-wwii"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/Old-Books.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478121","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2478121"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478121\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2478125,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478121\/revisions\/2478125"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2478122"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2478121"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2478121"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2478121"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}