A former patron of a Pennsylvania library recently returned a book that was due 51 years ago. The book, “Lombardi: Winning is the Only Thing,” edited by Jerry Kramer, was supposed to be returned to the Benson Memorial Library on July 26, 1973.
The library celebrated this unexpected return on Instagram, praising its patrons as “the best” and expressing delight at being continuously surprised. In a gracious act, the returning patron, acknowledging the overdue status, calculated the would-be fine plus interest and donated the total amount to the library, despite the library abolishing overdue fines in 2021.
The Benson Library expressed profound gratitude to all its past, present, and future patrons for their steadfast support, describing the incident as a wonderful surprise and a memorable story.
Jessica Hilburn, the library’s executive director, stated that the book will not re-enter circulation but will instead be displayed in the library office. She shared with the Erie Times-News her appreciation for the patron’s lasting affection for the library, noting, “Even 51 years after his last book checkout, he still remembers and values the library and the services we provide.”
