Now THAT Is An Overdue Book!
OPEN: JANUS FILE #0163
Years ago, I heard this joke about a library patron. During one visit to the library, one of the librarians approached him, and said that they had just discovered that he had a book that had been overdue for quite some time.
The patron asked, "Is there a big fine?"
"We're naming the new wing after you."
I was reminded of this joke yesterday when I came across a story on Yahoo! News. The story was about someone finally returning an overdue book to the library in Hancock, Michigan (the story didn't mention which library, so I'm assuming that it's Hancock's public library). How overdue? Well, the last due date stamped on the book was June 2, 1960.
That's right -- June 2, 1960. Dwight Eisenhower was President. There have been nine Presidents since then, including the current resident of the White House. That's one overdue book.
Robert Nuranen checked out Prince Of Egypt for an assignment when he was a freshman in high school, and said that his mother misplaced the book while cleaning the house. Members of his family would run across the book every so often, only to set it aside, and presumably misplace it again. Nuranen, who now lives in Los Angeles, found the book once again while looking through a box in the attic (of his parents' house, I'm guessing), and decided that he should return it before disappeared for another 10 years.
I wasn't surprised when I read that the library had lost any record of the book long ago. What did surprise me was that Nuranen never did finish reading the book. Granted, the book was more or less lost for most of the time he and/or his family had it, but I would have thought he would have sat down and finished reading it before finally turning it in.
I suppose I was also just a little surprised by the fine he paid. It was $171.32. Somehow, I would have thought that nearly 47 years of overdue charges would have been a little more than that.
I'm also wondering what that library will be doing with Prince Of Egypt now that they have it back. Given the history of this particular copy, I hope it becomes a non-circulating book. I would think that it would be too valuable to let someone ever check it out again.
CLOSE: JANUS FILE #0163
Years ago, I heard this joke about a library patron. During one visit to the library, one of the librarians approached him, and said that they had just discovered that he had a book that had been overdue for quite some time.
The patron asked, "Is there a big fine?"
"We're naming the new wing after you."
I was reminded of this joke yesterday when I came across a story on Yahoo! News. The story was about someone finally returning an overdue book to the library in Hancock, Michigan (the story didn't mention which library, so I'm assuming that it's Hancock's public library). How overdue? Well, the last due date stamped on the book was June 2, 1960.
That's right -- June 2, 1960. Dwight Eisenhower was President. There have been nine Presidents since then, including the current resident of the White House. That's one overdue book.
Robert Nuranen checked out Prince Of Egypt for an assignment when he was a freshman in high school, and said that his mother misplaced the book while cleaning the house. Members of his family would run across the book every so often, only to set it aside, and presumably misplace it again. Nuranen, who now lives in Los Angeles, found the book once again while looking through a box in the attic (of his parents' house, I'm guessing), and decided that he should return it before disappeared for another 10 years.
I wasn't surprised when I read that the library had lost any record of the book long ago. What did surprise me was that Nuranen never did finish reading the book. Granted, the book was more or less lost for most of the time he and/or his family had it, but I would have thought he would have sat down and finished reading it before finally turning it in.
I suppose I was also just a little surprised by the fine he paid. It was $171.32. Somehow, I would have thought that nearly 47 years of overdue charges would have been a little more than that.
I'm also wondering what that library will be doing with Prince Of Egypt now that they have it back. Given the history of this particular copy, I hope it becomes a non-circulating book. I would think that it would be too valuable to let someone ever check it out again.
CLOSE: JANUS FILE #0163