UK Woman Who Kept Library Book For 56 Years Finally Returns It

The book will now be stored in the council’s archives.

A woman has finally returned an overdue library book she borrowed when she was just 14 years old. Lesley Harrison, 70, returned the book after 56 years. She borrowed ‘Ich Lerne Deutsch’ while studying for a German O-Level at Whitley Bay Grammar School in 1966.

A note inside the front cover asks for the book to be returned within 21 days, or there would be a fine of 3d (three pence) per week. Mrs Harrison said she decided to return the book after hearing that the council had abolished its late charges and was offering a prize for the most overdue book in North Tyneside. She decided to hand-deliver the book to the Killingworth Library.

A hypothetical fine of more than Euro 2,000 in today’s money could have been owed on the book.

The 70-year-old who is living in Shiremoor said: “I was doing O-Level German at Whitley Bay Grammar School and went on to do A-Level German, as well as French, and I later taught myself Spanish. I don’t remember very many words of German.”

She added, “I knew I hadn’t brought the book back and when I moved out of my parents’ house, I thought I wouldn’t be able to afford the fine, so it stayed in a drawer. We moved around a lot, and it always came with me.”

“When I heard about the amnesty, I thought ‘I’m sure I’ve got an old book lying around somewhere,’ and I know the library staff were shocked and amused when I brought it in. It’s still in a good condition though. I do look after my books,” she said.

The former civil servant who once thought of becoming a librarian has an otherwise unblemished book-borrowing record and has never been late returning a book since she moved back to North Tyneside from Chester-Le-Street in 2013.

“We came back in 2013 and since then I’ve been very good at bringing books back; I don’t think I’ve ever paid a fine. I’ve been scrupulous to bring the books back or renew them online.”

Councillor Sandra Graham, Cabinet Member responsible for Libraries, said: “Just for fun, we did a rough calculation of the late fee that a book 56 years overdue could have incurred and it would have come to more than Euro 2,000.” She added, “We’ve had such a positive response to our decision to scrap fines and this is the oldest book we’ve had back by some distance. Better late than never!”

The book will now be stored in the council’s archives.
 

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