A man returned a September 1894 magazine to the Concord Public Library after keeping it for decades, avoiding a $12,055 late fee under the library’s fine freeze. (Concord Public Library)
CONCORD, N.H. - A man recently returned a magazine to the Concord Public Library in New Hampshire nearly 132 years after it was published, avoiding a $12,055 late fee.
John returned a September 1894 issue of "The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine" after reading about the library’s fine freeze in the Concord Monitor. He said he had no idea how the magazine ended up at his home.
The publication was 48,220 days overdue, according to the library.
"We expected long overdue books to be returned, but certainly not something from the late 19th century!" the Concord Public Library said.
The magazine will not be placed back into circulation because of its age. It may instead be preserved in the library’s Concord Room.
The Source: The information came from a post by the Concord Public Library about a man returning a September 1894 issue of "The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine." This story was reported from Los Angeles.