NDTV – A copy of Joseph Conrad’s 1925 book Youth and Two Other Stories, which was checked out from the Larchmont Public Library in 1933, has been returned to a New York library after 90 years.
The story came to the library’s attention when Joanie Morgan from Virginia reached out in July after discovering the book among her stepfather’s belongings. She sent it back in late September, as confirmed by Larchmont librarian Caroline Cunningham.
Surprisingly, the library only collected USD5 as late fee. The Post Report said this was perhaps the longest check-out the Larchmont library’s had since its opening in 1926. Cunningham said the man who borrowed the book lived in the village at the time.
“This was quite a surprise for us, for sure,” said the librarian. Describing the call with Morgan, she said, “At first I thought, are you calling the right library because we actually get a lot of phone calls from Virginia because there’s a Larchmont library in Virginia.”
Jimmie Ellis, who got the book issued, lived at the village with his first wife and two children. He died in 1978.
