The book — “Youth and Two Other Stories” by Joseph Conrad — used to be revealed in 1902. It were borrowed from the Larchmont Public Library in Westchester County, N.Y., and nonetheless had a due date slip affixed to it.
The book used to be with the property of her overdue stepfather, James H.S. Ellis Jr., so she surmised that he had checked it out however by no means returned it. The mortgage card incorporates patron numbers fairly than names.
“He was an avid reader,” Wheeler Morgan mentioned, including that the book — constituted of 3 works of fiction — used to be nonetheless in “very good condition.” She discovered it amongst Ellis’s sprawling book assortment.
Her stepfather, who died in 1978, used to be an promoting govt. At the time he took out the book, he used to be dwelling in Larchmont along with his first spouse and their two sons. Their house used to be about two blocks from the Larchmont Public Library.
He should have taken it with him when he packed up his books and moved his issues to the Hot Springs space in 1953, she mentioned.
Right after Wheeler Morgan discovered the book in July, she referred to as the library to allow them to learn about her just about century-old to find. Staff used to be surprised.
“We were very excited,” mentioned Caroline Cunningham, a librarian at Larchmont Public Library. “It’s an unusual kind of thing to happen.”
She mentioned the library, which opened in 1926, most probably bought the book as one in every of its authentic titles.
The library has unquestionably observed its proportion of late books over time, Cunningham mentioned, however not anything this excessive.
“This is by far the longest,” she mentioned.
The library fees 20 cents in keeping with day for late books, although the utmost fantastic is $5. In Wheeler Morgan’s case, they determined to waive the fee as a result of she used to be no longer the unique borrower.
Wheeler Morgan first of all questioned whether or not she must stay the book in her circle of relatives’s ownership, however she determined returning it used to be the suitable factor to do. She moderately packaged it to make sure it used to be neatly secure, and mailed it to New York.
“I care about books, and I wasn’t about to do some makeshift shipment,” mentioned Wheeler Morgan, who lives in Sonoma, Calif., and spends a number of weeks a 12 months on the Hot Springs house.
On Sept. 23, the book arrived on the library, at the side of every other book and a heartfelt letter written via Wheeler Morgan. In her be aware, Wheeler Morgan defined her choice to incorporate an advantage book — “The Jumping Frog from Jasper County” — which used to be authored via her stepfather.
“It’s not only his own story, but also the story of how advertising was done from the days of paper paste-ups and handbills to some of the most successful ad campaigns of the 1940s and ’50s,” Wheeler Morgan wrote within the letter.
Library personnel luckily agreed to stay the book.
“I’m interested in paying tribute to my stepfather, his life and his work,” mentioned Wheeler Morgan, whose mom, Kay Wheeler, met and married her stepfather in 1958.
“It was she who inspired and encouraged him to tell his story, and the story of how advertising was done,” mentioned Wheeler Morgan.
Library personnel determined to share the story of the long-overdue book in a Facebook post on Oct. 11, within the hope that it could appeal buyers — and to let other people understand it’s by no means too overdue to go back their late books.
“No matter how long a Larchmont Public Library book is overdue, if it gets returned, the maximum fine is a whopping five bucks,” the post reads. “Thanks to Joanie Morgan who discovered the book among her stepfather’s belongings, it is now back at the Larchmont Library.”
“We were trying to use it as a learning opportunity for the patrons,” Cunningham mentioned. “We’re still looking for some summer reading books. Hopefully, they start coming in.”
Staff didn’t be expecting the tale to attract a lot consideration, however other people have been tickled and intrigued via the long-lost relic. The tale used to be first reported via Patch.
“It’s a good way to spread awareness that the library is here,” mentioned Cunningham. “Hopefully, people realize libraries are still around. They’re great places for people.”
Patrons stay attaining out short of to look the decades-old book, Cunningham mentioned, so personnel is making plans a show. Going ahead, nobody shall be allowed to borrow it.
“We figured it should stay with the library after it’s been away for so long,” Cunningham mentioned.