100 years overdue, book finally returned to St. Paul Public Library

The St. Paul library system did away with late fees in 2019. At the time, it had $2.5 million in uncollected debt that when eliminated unblocked 42,000 library cards, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

During the time period the book was checked out, Larson believes a late fee would have been a penny a day. According to his math, that would amount to a $36,000 fine.

“It has reached a point where it’s not just an old book, it’s an artifact. It has a little bit of history to it,” he said.

And for those who may find overdue books from five, 10, or 20 years ago, Larson encourages Minnesotans to bring them back. All is forgiven.

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The St. Paul library system did away with late fees in 2019. At the time, it had $2.5 million in uncollected debt that when eliminated unblocked 42,000 library cards, according to the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
During the time period the book was checked out, Larson believes a late fee would have been a penny a day. According to his math, that would amount to a $36,000 fine.
“It has reached a point where it’s not just an old book, it’s an artifact. It has a little bit of history to it,” he said.
And for those who may find overdue books from five, 10, or 20 years ago, Larson encourages Minnesotans to bring them back. All is forgiven.