Book Returned to Library 100 Years Late

Man's great-grandmother had checked out 'Forty Minutes Late' (no joke) in 1917
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Jan 16, 2017 9:48 AM CST
Book Returned to Library 100 Years Late
This June 17, 2009, photo shows a return date of January 29, 1964, stamped inside a copy of George Bernard Shaw's "Man and Superman" displayed at the San Francisco Public Library in San Francisco that was returned after 45 years.   (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)

A book of short stories titled Forty Minutes Late has been returned to the San Francisco Public Library—100 years late, the AP reports. The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Bay Area resident Webb Johnson returned the book Friday. There was no fine. Johnson's great-grandmother had checked it out from the city's old Fillmore branch in 1917. She passed away a week before the due date, and the Fillmore branch is no longer around. Johnson found the 1909 book, by F. Hopkinson Smith, in an old steamer trunk in 1996. He assumed the library wouldn't want it back, but a recently announced "fine forgiveness program" that runs through Feb. 14 inspired him to return it. Head city librarian Luis Herrera said the library was glad to, finally, get the book. (More library stories.)

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