Man Pays $1,552 Library Fine for Books Due 40 Years Ago

(Updated at 2:10 p.m.) ROCKVILLE, MD — Library books checked out in 1973 and 1974 were found by the adult children of a couple who had lived in Rockville decades ago. At 5 cents a day, the overdue fine for the two books would be a whopping $1,552 — which the family paid to make things right.

Montgomery County Public Libraries’ Director Parker Hamilton said the rare donation sent to the library system in a letter will benefit many users. "People do not have to fess up, but they're fessing up. I think it's for the love of library," she said.

The check will allow the library to "buy many, many new books for the residents of Montgomery County," Hamilton told Montgomery Community Media.

Hamilton said the two books were found by family members clearing out some of their parents' things; they had forgotten to return the books.

People understand that libraries are shared collections, she says, which gives them value.

Jon Kramer, who now lives in Minnesota, said the titles that his now-deceased parents forgot to return are 365 Meatless Main Dishes and The New Way of the Wilderness. While his parented died years ago, Kramer and his siblings only recently began to go through some of their belongings at the family’s homestead in Canada.

He wrote to the library of his find, and enclosed the check to make amends.

"We apologize for that oversight and hereby endeavor to correct the wrong by paying the accumulated late fees," Kramer said, according to Bethesda Magazine. "The matter now arises as to the eventual disposition of these titles. We had considered returning them to the library from which they originated, albeit a bit overdue. However, these books have become imbedded in the family lore and have acquired heirloom status as a result. We, as stewards of our own history, have therefore determined the books are best left in residence on the shelves which they happily occupy at present."

Kramer also hoped the FBI wouldn't be called in to investigate the international incident; Hamilton says that the family can hold on to the keepsakes.

»Photo of the Rockville Library from the Montgomery County Public Libraries website