'Antique' book returned to library in London Varsity after 50 yrs; 'Please don't just...'

It can be said without any doubt that bookworms would certainly claim a huge collection of novels and many reading enthusiasts would prefer to own their book collection rather than renting them out of libraries and later going through the hassles of returning them. There may be times when one would wish to re-read a particular book even after having read it once. However, what if someone was so crazy about a particular book and returned it after decades? What if such an incident actually happened? In a bizarre incident, an 'antique book' was returned to University College London (UCL) '50 years' after its original due date after being borrowed.

According to London outlet Evening Standard, the book is the 1875 edition of a play called 'Querolus', which was due to be returned to the UCL Library in the summer of 1974. Howerver, the university’s librarian, Suzanne Traue, said, “My jaw dropped when I read the note after discovering the book." The 'antique' book was sent back to the library anonymously and she found it upon returning to the library after 18 months of working from home. The Evening Standard also reported, “At a rate of 10p per day, the library fine for the book’s late return would have been £1,254 (approx over Rs 1 lakh).”

Meanwhile, Evening Standard reported that the anonymous borrower returned the overdue book with a note instructing the librarian not to throw it out, as the borrower had 'taken the time and trouble to return it.' 

The note read, “Dear Librarian, I fear this book is some 50 years overdue! Please don’t just throw it out, now that I’ve taken the time and trouble to return it. It must be an ‘antique’ by now.'' 

According to Evening Standard, Professor Gesine Manuwald, head of the Greek and Latin department at University College London, stated, “It is amazing to see such loyalty from a former user of the UCL Library that they bring back a book after almost 50 years." He added, “In a sense this book is ‘antique’ since it dates from 1875, but it is still the most recent edition of the work in the standard Teubner series of scholarly editions of ancient Greek and Latin texts.'' Furthermore, UCL Libraries encourages customers to return their books on time, but automatic revivals have been in place since March 2021.

Netizens' reactions to UCL's post

The tweet was shared by UCL news on its official twitter handle, and the post garnered several reactions from the online community. On the other hand, the post has attracted several reactions like, “I, too, would have returned this book anonymously. Cost of living is rising and all that!” The second read, “Sorry but if the library is going to charge me £1,200 for an overdue book I am keeping it, I'm trying to return a book not buy the library.”

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