The world-renowned New York Library was in for a surprise when a book was recently returned after a whopping 90 years. Yes, you read that right – 90 years! It seems that the borrower was too busy pondering the mysteries of the universe or perhaps they were caught up in the invention of the wheel. Whatever the reason may be, the book was well overdue and the library must have been ecstatic to finally get their hands on it again.
The book in question, “Ethics” by Aristotle, was borrowed way back in 1931. To give you some perspective, that was the same year when the first Dracula movie was released, and “Alcoholics Anonymous” was published for the first time. So, it’s safe to say the world has come a long way since then.
The strange incident speaks volumes about the importance of returning borrowed items on time, but it also raises some interesting questions. Was the borrower so engrossed in the book that they lost track of time? Or were they just plain lazy to return it? Perhaps they were abducted by aliens and only recently managed to make their escape. Who knows?
Despite the library’s strict policy of charging a fine for overdue items, they have waived the fine in this case. Could it be because the borrower’s grandchildren offered to pay the fine on their grandparent’s behalf? Or because the library realized it was too late to charge a fine since the borrower himself had expired. Either way, the library seems to have taken the high road and accepted the book with open arms.
Interestingly enough, the book has no shortage of comments from the borrower since it had been checked out. The book was returned with an inscription which read: “Sorry for the delay, but I just got carried away with other things in life”. How cliché! The library should consider collecting such heartwarming stories of tardy borrowers to showcase in their future exhibitions.
The book’s overdue status had made it somewhat of a celebrity in New York City’s Library circles. The “Ethics” by Aristotle has reportedly garnered hundreds of visitors since its return and has even inspired a new wave of literature enthusiasts to make their way to the library. Could this be a new marketing strategy for the library to promote the benefits of keeping books past their due date?
The length of the delay is not without its consequences, however. The book has incurred a fine of over $1,200, which if adjusted for inflation, could easily be a small fortune. But as mentioned earlier the library has waived the fine out of the kindness of their own hearts. Maybe it was the borrower’s apology inscription that moved them, or perhaps it was just the fact that the book was finally returned.
In conclusion, the late but not so great return of “Ethics” by Aristotle has indeed sparked curiosity and conversation amongst bibliophiles in New York City. It has shown the world that it’s never too late to return a borrowed item, and that even after 90 years, there is still pleasure to be found in reading a good book.
