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Published 18:23 IST, January 30th 2021

Book issued from a Canadian library finally returned after 82 years

In a strange incident, a bibliophile returned a book to the Cape Breton Regional Library, based in Sydney, Canada, 82 years after it was overdue.

Reported by: Akanksha Arora
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In a strange incident, a bibliophile returned a book to the Cape Breton Regional Library, based in Sydney, Canada, 82 years after it was overdue. It all happened when a Sydney resident named Jordan Musycsyn found Hugh Lofting’s 'The Adventures of Doctor Dolittle' hidden under insulation in his attic. The Library took to its official Instagram handle and shared the incident. According to the caption, the item had been borrowed from the old Sydney Public Library.

'What a piece of history' 

However, in the year 1959, fire destroyed the building that housed the library. Due to this, more than 80,000 books were destroyed, including a number of rare and valuable items. The following year, James McConnell Memorial Library opened up. In the caption, the library wrote, “For privacy reasons, we have withheld the borrower’s name pending receipt of permission. Here are a few hints: her initials were V.M., she was born in the 1920s, and at the time the item was loaned she lived on Centre Street in Sydney. If you think you might know the identity of the borrower, please send us an email at info@cbrl.ca”. 

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"What an awesome story. Love this!", wrote an Instagram user in the comment section. Another person wrote, "Love this! What a piece of history!!!". Since uploaded, the image has gathered over 100 likes. 

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Read: Bizarre! Book Overdue For 60 Years Returned To Library Anonymously, Read 'brilliant Story'

In another similar incident, a bibliophile returned a book to the Middlesbrough Central Library in the UK 60 years after it was overdue. The anonymous reader dropped Geoffrey Faber's poetry anthology The Buried Stream into the return box that he had issued in December 1962 in the year 2020, nearly six decades later. In an online post on Facebook, the library wrote, “Earlier this week, someone returned a book to Middlesbrough Libraries that was almost 60 years overdue! Thanks to all the staff to the person who returned the book earlier this week. It was due to be returned on 21st December 1962!!!”. 

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(Image Credits: Instagram/CapeBretonRegionalLibrary)

18:23 IST, January 30th 2021