NationStates Jolt Archive

A man originally from Michigan returned a library book he borrowed when he was in ninth-grade(freshie...) nearly 47 YEARS after it was due. He paid $171.32 in fines even though the library had lost its records of the book.

Linky (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070107/ap_on_fe_st/overdue_book)

HANCOCK, Mich. - Robert Nuranen handed the local librarian a book he'd checked out for a ninth-grade assignment — along with a check for 47 years' worth of late fees.

Nuranen said his mother misplaced the copy of "Prince of Egypt" while cleaning the house. The family came across it every so often, only to set it aside again. He found it last week while looking through a box in the attic.

"I figured I'd better get it in before we waited another 10 years," he said after turning it in Friday with the $171.32 check. "Fifty-seven years would be embarrassing."

The book, with its last due date stamped June 2, 1960, was part of the young Nuranen's fascination with Egypt. He went on to visit that country and 54 others, and all 50 states, he said, but he never did finish the book.

Nuranen now lives in Los Angeles, where he teaches seventh-grade social studies and language arts.

The library had long ago lost any record of the book, librarian Sue Zubiena said.

"I'm going to use it as an example," she said. "It's never too late to return your books."


My library always threatens to take legal action if you don't return a book...

You beat me to it by about 30 seconds. At least he sets a good example for his students. :)

finally I can read Prince of Egypt I can now die happy

Wow! My record is about 7 years with a friend's book. I'm such an amateur! :p

"I figured I'd better get it in before we waited another 10 years," he said after turning it in Friday with the $171.32 check. "Fifty-seven years would be embarrassing."

Awesome. :p

i thought this thread was going to be about newyear.

Paid the fine? That was a bit foolish. I mean you waited 47 years you might as well wait until the next book amnesty, drop it off secretly, or just buy the library a new book. I sure a new copy of the book or a secondhand copy of book would cost less than $170 or whatever the fine was. Silly man.

This guy is the greatest mastermind there is.

I once found a book from my high school's library - at a garage sale. The book had been signed out for thirty-five years - so, thinking it'd be fun, I paid twenty-five cents for it and brought it back... but the uptight head librarian tried to make me to pay the back dues on it, even though I pointed out I'd only been living in the area for five years and couldn't possibly have signed it out some twenty years prior to having been born. He said if I didn't pay up, my library priveleges would be revoked.

I thought he was kidding, and I laughed it off - but the next time I tried using the library, I was banned. Miserable old humourless dumb fuck. Good job this happened in the last half of the last semster in my final year.

I once found a book from my high school's library - at a garage sale. The book had been signed out for thirty-five years - so, thinking it'd be fun, I paid twenty-five cents for it and brought it back... but the uptight head librarian tried to make me to pay the back dues on it, even though I pointed out I'd only been living in the area for five years and couldn't possibly have signed it out some twenty years prior to having been born. He said if I didn't pay up, my library priveleges would be revoked.

I thought he was kidding, and I laughed it off - but the next time I tried using the library, I was banned. Miserable old humourless dumb fuck. Good job this happened in the last half of the last semster in my final year.This is why we never return long overdue library books unless compelled to due to them withdrawing access. I know I borrowed a library book on Oncology from Bradford central Library. I misplaced. Since I never intended to use that library again because I was only living temporarily in Bradford I never owned up to having lost the book.

If there's anyone here who works in Bradford central library then I'd like to let you know that the above is a complete fabrication.

Paid the fine? That was a bit foolish. I mean you waited 47 years you might as well wait until the next book amnesty, drop it off secretly, or just buy the library a new book. I sure a new copy of the book or a secondhand copy of book would cost less than $170 or whatever the fine was. Silly man.

Yes, I´m pretty sure a guy who has visited 54 countries and 50 US states is pretty worried about 174 bucks.

my library only makes you pay for the book, I had a book out for 5 years once and the late fees stopped accruing after I reached the replacement price for the book.

Yes, I´m pretty sure a guy who has visited 54 countries and 50 US states is pretty worried about 174 bucks.Of course. My Dad used to earn around £50-60k and he once bit my head off for not picking up the least expensive tin of tomatoes in the supermarket. Those of the baby boomer generation are very uptight about money and waste. At least that's what I tend to find.

I find it happens to me too. I easily have enough money to get by on, but nevertheless I find myself comparing prices on loose and packaged fruit and veg. It doesn't even save me that much, but I just find myself mentally checking the prices in my head. *so the loose open cap mushrooms are £4.50 a kilo and the packaged mushrooms are £3.50 for 750g... that makes...* And so on.

my library don't give fees they just send you a letter on the cost of a new book or how much it cost to fix the book if it was you who did some thing to it

They don't let us graduate if you have outstanding library fees. Its motivation, I guess.