Sometimes we all just need a little extra time with a good book. One Minnesota resident certainly took their time — over a century, in fact. Recently, their child returned the book to the Saint Paul Public Library via another library system, according to library director Maureen Hartman.
The book, a 1902 edition of “Famous Composers vol. 2” by Nathan Haskell Dole, was discovered by a Hennepin County patron going through their mother’s belongings, the library shared on X.
While details of the book’s return remain unclear, the library expressed interest in speaking with the person who returned it. The book explores the lives of famous composers such as Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Chopin. According to a librarian who tracked its history using stamps and a pocket card, the book was last checked out around 1919.
The overdue return caught the eye of St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter, who joked online about the fine it could have accumulated — though late fees were abolished in 2019. A century ago, the charge was a penny a day, meaning the overdue book would have cost about $380.
The book’s history reveals it was originally cataloged in 1914, when the city’s library was housed in Old Market Hall. When the building caught fire in 1915, most of the library’s collection was lost. However, about 34,000 books that were out with patrons survived, and the Dole book was likely re-cataloged in 1916, ahead of the Central Library’s opening in 1917.
Despite being over 100 years old, the book is still intact, with its original binding, worn pages, and library stamps. A math equation scribbled on the pocket card reads “1928 minus 1791,” possibly referring to composer Giacomo Meyerbeer’s age if he had lived to see 1928.
Due to its fragile condition, the library doesn’t plan to put the book back into circulation. Instead, it may be displayed in the Saint Paul Collection as a piece of the city’s history.
Hartman reflected on the book’s return, noting it serves as a reminder of the enduring value of libraries: “This has proven again that libraries are as beloved now as they were 100 years ago.” As for why the book remained checked out for so long, that’s one mystery the library may never solve.
