Long overdue: Poetry book 93 years overdue returned to Licking County Library

The Licking County Library eliminated late fines for overdue books - and one past patron got quite the value with the new policy.

A book 93 years overdue was returned Feb. 9 to the Downtown Newark branch of the county library system. The library shared the book in a Feb. 14 social media post.

"Heart Throbs," a book of poetry from 1905, was returned after a patron found the book on a shelf in her great aunt's house.

Library Circulation Supervision Leah Nickell said she was in state of disbelief when the patron shared the book's story with her.

"At first I thought it was a joke," she said. "I had to look through the item to make sure that it wasn't just a joke or a misunderstanding because I've never had that happen before."

The 119-year-old book is still in great shape and has wowed library staffers, said Olivia Chapman, a marketing and PR specialist with the library who made the social media post that featured the book.

"It's got a bookmark still in it that you could see like maybe where the person that stopped," said Chapman.

When the book was originally checked out in in October 1931, the library was located at 105 W. Church St., back-to-back with the former Newark High School. It was supposed to be returned a month later on Nov. 27, 1931, according to the due date card still inside the book.

The Licking County Library did away with overdue fines in 2017, so late fess will not be charged.

The book is filled with short poems and inside it says 50,000 people contributed to book.

One poem entitled "Let Us Smile," reads:

The thing that goes the farthest towards making life worth while,

That costs the least and does the most, is just a pleasant smile,

The smile that bubbles from a heart that loves its fellowmen

Will drive away the cloud of gloom and coax the sun again,

It's full of worth and goodness, too, with manly kindness blent —

It's worth a million dollars, and doesn't cost a cent.

As of now, the library staff doesn't have plans for what will happen to the book next.

"We have the patron's contact information, so it might go back to its original home or we might keep it here as a fun little relic," Nickell said.

mdevito@gannett.com

740-607-2175

Twitter: @MariaDeVito13