Children's book returned to library - 53 years later

Louise Walsh

A children's book has been returned to a Meath library - 53 years after it was last taken out.

Staff at Dunboyne library were stunned when a lady brought back the book last week after she discovered it in her house in nearby Ratoath.

Staff crunched numbers to discover the book was 19,394 days late.

The book, ‘Animal Stories’ by Ruth Manning Sanders, was published by Oxford Universal Press in 1967. The UK author died in 1988.

"This lady walked in last week and handed in the book, which surprised everyone," said librarian Geraldine Fanning.

"The last date stamp on it was the 8th July 1973 and it's in a fairly good condition.

"The lady found it in her home in Ratoath which wasn't close to any library when she was growing up.

"She thinks it may have been borrowed from a mobile library which came regularly to her school, outside Navan back then."

Geraldine said the short-story book contained 'true stories' according to the author.

"There is a lovely story about a sheep dog, called 'A dog in a million' which children would love. The rules of the library, inside the cover, state that the book can be kept for two weeks and then must be brought back or renewed. There was a fine of 1p for every three days the book was kept after the date of return.

In recent years the fines for 'late' library books were abolished which has seen a number of old books being returned.

"We have seen books being returned years later but this is the oldest that I have seen," added Geraldine.

"The older generation will still apologise if they bring books late because they have grown up with fines. But now the only charge is if an adult book is lost or damaged."

The book will now be placed in the archive at Meath Co Council's headquarters in Navan.