Overdue Library Book Finally Returned After 82 Years: Comprehensive Account of the Returned Tome
In a heartwarming turn of events, a book titled Your Child, His Family, and Friends by Frances Bruce Strain, which had been overdue for 82 years, was recently returned to the San Antonio Public Library. The book, a guide for parents on helping their children navigate personal relationships, was checked out in July 1943 by Maria del Socorro Aldrete Flores (Cortez).
The book's journey took an unexpected turn when it was taken to Mexico by Maria del Socorro Aldrete Flores (Cortez). This was the same year she transferred to Mexico City to work at the US Embassy.
The book resurfaced this past June when it was found in a family box by the person who returned it, following the recent death of their father. The letter accompanying the book, signed with the initials P.A.A.G., stated, "After the recent death of my father, I inherited a few boxes of books he left behind."
The San Antonio Public Library shared the letter on their Instagram handle, expressing their gratitude for the return. The library, which no longer charges overdue fines, issued a press release about the returned book.
Interestingly, the record for the most overdue library book is held by a book returned to Harvard University 288 years late, a significant margin from the San Antonio Public Library's record-breaking return. The book returned to Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge, England, in 1956, which was borrowed in 1668, holds this record. No fine was charged for the overdue book returned to Sidney Sussex College.
The San Antonio Public Library is not the only institution to have received a long-overdue book. In 1956, a book was returned to the University of Cambridge's Sidney Sussex College after many decades, but this is not the record-holder. Another recent instance involved a book returned to San Antonio Public Library nearly 82 years overdue, but it does not hold the record either.
Despite not breaking the overall record, the San Antonio Public Library is celebrating the return of the book, grateful for its safe return and the story it tells about the enduring value of knowledge and the power of family connections.
- The book, which tells parents about guiding their children through personal relationships, has an interesting connection to the United States and Mexico, as it was once taken to Mexico by the original borrower, Maria del Socorro Aldrete Flores (Cortez), who worked at the US Embassy there.
- In a testament to the enduring value of knowledge, the book, Your Child, His Family, and Friends by Frances Bruce Strain, was returned to the San Antonio Public Library after being missing for 82 years.
- While not the record-holder for the most overdue library book, the return of the book to the San Antonio Public Library is a reminder of the power of family connections, as the book was found in a family box following the recent death of its owner.
- Future readers of the book, Your Child, His Family, and Friends, can explore topics related to lifestyle, home-and-garden, books, and entertainment, as they navigate their own personal relationships, much like the book's original readers did decades ago.
