November 13th 2024.
In the summer of 1899, a special addition was made to the Worcester Public Library collection. It was a book titled The Early Work of Aubrey Beardsley, which contained a compilation of illustrations by a renowned British artist and poet. This book was a valuable addition to the library and remained a part of their collection for over seven decades.
However, in 1973, something unexpected happened. The book was checked out by a curious reader and never returned to its rightful place on the library shelves. It seemed to have disappeared into thin air, much to the disappointment of the library staff. But just recently, this beloved book made its way back to the library, thanks to a kind-hearted Boston resident who found it and wanted to make sure it didn't end up in the trash.
The book was brought to the attention of the Cambridge Public Library, where the staff quickly realized that it didn't belong to their catalogue. Upon further inspection, they noticed the original due date stamped on the book: May 22, 1973. This discovery prompted the manager of collections, Kathy Penny, to send the book back to its rightful home with a handwritten note that read, "Returning to its rightful home, 51 years later."
The book was received by Alex London, a local historian and genealogy librarian at the Worcester Public Library. He was amazed and delighted by its return, stating, "It's a rarity that someone found this." He was also impressed by its excellent condition, considering its age and the journey it went through to make its way back to the library.
London shared the news with the library's executive director, Jason Homer, who couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the situation. "Why did Cambridge have our book from the 70s?" he jokingly asked. In his 15 years of experience in the industry, Homer had seen books returned late or not at all, but never after 51 years. He marveled at the thought of how many people had touched and interacted with the book over its 100-year existence.
The Worcester library made a Facebook post on November 1, announcing the book's long-awaited return. The post thanked the Cambridge Public Library and the Boston resident who found and returned the book after 51 years. It also mentioned that if the library still issued late fees, the borrower would have had to pay around $3000, but luckily, late fines had been suspended in 2020.
According to Homer, the book was 18,738 days overdue, which is a considerable amount of time even for the most forgetful borrower. He also shared that at the Worcester library, people are charged to replace books that are 42 days overdue. "After an item is overdue for 6 weeks, we assume it is lost, and we charge people the cost to replace the book," Homer explained. Unfortunately, since this book was borrowed before the internet era, there is no record of whether the borrower was charged for it.
The book's author, Aubrey Beardsley, was a British visual artist who had a significant influence on modern artists of the late 19th century. His artwork was inspired by Japanese woodblock artists and was characterized by unique curved lines, which earned him much praise during his short career. Beardsley's work is said to have influenced the art nouveau style, a decorative international art featuring curves of nature.
Unfortunately, Beardsley passed away at a young age of 25 due to tuberculosis. However, his work continued to inspire the modernist and aesthetic movement long after his death in 1898, one year before the book was composed. "For us, this book is a stark reminder of the need for physical preservation of materials and information," Homer reflected. He emphasized the importance of honoring art and expression, especially in a world where digital consumption is increasing at a rapid pace.
Currently, the book is not listed in the library's online catalogue. It is being kept in a secure location for preservation and is only available for in-library reading. Its return to the library after 51 years serves as a reminder to take care of and cherish physical books, as they hold a significant part of our history and culture.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
