For a man BC, it took 48 years and 107 days. Staff at the Tooting Library in London, UK, were shocked to receive a book on Monday that appeared to have been last checked on 19 February 1974. The book, A Confederate General from Big Sur by Richard Brautigan, arrived by post from Port Moody, BC. “We received a mysterious package in the post … it said it was back from Port Moody, but there was no other information, there was no note,” said Christopher Arnsby, business director at Wandsworth Libraries. Wandsworth Libraries have a new book with the longest delay. He returned after 48 years and 107 days. Thanks to anyone who sent it back to the Tooting Library from Port Moody in Canada. The question is how did he get there? pic.twitter.com/5qb1wCHPod – @ wandsworthlibs Library staff decided to post on Twitter to see if anyone could tell them where it came from. Since the library did not have a computer system until the late 1980s, Arnsby said they had no records before that time and did not know the book was missing. He said he believes this may be their latest book back. “As far as I know he is the current record holder,” he told CBC. Christopher Arnsby, business director at the Wandsworth Libraries in London, is pictured in Zoom holding a copy of Richard Brautigan’s A Confederate General from Big Sur. (Michelle Gomez / CBC News) He said the fine for the overdue book would be about 6. 6,000 (about $ 9,440 at the time of publication) if the library did not limit the fees to, 8.50 (about $ 13). But Arnsby said they are waiving the fine for this case. “It seemed a bit unreasonable to impose a fine since he had gone to great lengths to send it back to Canada.” When asked what he would like to say to the sender, Arnsby replied: “Thank you very much for returning the book. They kept it for so long, I hope they read it more than once and I hope they enjoyed it.”
The mystery is solved
The man who returned the book was Tony Spence, a former judge of the BC district court. residing in Belcarra, which borders Port Moody to the northwest. A BBC reporter spotted him through a Port Moody Facebook group. “We did a deep cleanup, something like Marie Kondo,” Spence told CBC. He said he found a box in the corner of the scan area that had been full of magazines since they had lived in London – along with a long overdue library book. The book was last audited on 19 February 1974 and the Tooting Library in London received the book by post on Monday. Christopher Arnsby said they have waived the late fines for the book. (Wandsworth Libraries) Spence said he does not remember seeing the book or reading the book, although he does remember reading a different book by the same author, Trout Fishing in America. “He was a cult figure at the time, well known,” Spence said. Spence intended to include a note in the package when it shipped it in April. But when he got to the post office, he realized he had forgotten to write it and could not be bothered, he said. “I was going to apologize to all those people who have kept it for the last 50 years.” Tony Spence, a retired BC district court judge, says he does not remember checking or reading the book he returned 48 years after its expiration date. (Submitted by Tony Spence) Spence said he wanted to give other people a chance to read it. He hopes that the library will exhibit it so that people can find the author again. Arnsby said, given the interest in the book’s journey, the library will place the book in a showcase along with relevant news clippings for the time being. He said it was returned in very good condition and can be put back on the shelves after the exhibition. “I would definitely urge other people to check their shelves and see if there is anything hidden there … bring them back to the Tooting library and borrow some more books, but try to get them back within the limit,” he said. Arnsby. Spence said he was glad the book arrived safely and that others could enjoy it. “I hope they would laugh a little bit at that, and I think they did it because they decided to waive the late payment fines.”
