Magazine Returned to Library 132 Years Late

A magazine borrowed from a New Hampshire library in 1894 has finally made its way home—132 years after it was due back. Concord Public Library staff were stunned when 84-year-old John Hanson arrived with a remarkably well-preserved copy of The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine from September 1894. Hanson said he inherited the magazine during a house move in 1966 and decided to return it after discovering the library was offering a fine amnesty. Had the full 48,220-day overdue period been charged, the bill could theoretically have reached $12,055. “Yeah, when I saw that, I said to myself: ‘Boy, this would be a good time to bring it back’,” Hanson told the Concord Monitor. The original borrower remains a mystery. The magazine, which featured writing by figures including Mark Twain and Henry James, was stamped with a warning that it “may be kept for one week”. Library archivist Jennifer Needham said Hanson told her: “I have a book to return, and I bet you haven’t seen anything like this.”

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