New Jersey library gets book returned 99 years late

TOMS RIVER, New Jersey -- Mary Cooper found a library book borrowed by her grandfather in 1926 and returned it 99 years late.

The book, "Home-Made Toys for Girls and Boys" by A. Neely Hall, was stamped by the Ocean County Library.

Cooper recalls that her grandfather, Charles Tilton, was a boatwright and carpenter who may have desired to build something for his daughter, who was Cooper's mother.

The back of the book revealed it was borrowed in March of 1926 and designated for return by the end of the month. Tilton passed away the following year.

"I said, I have to return this book to the library," Cooper said. "I was sure they would like to have it back."

Serendipitously, the Ocean County Library is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

The return of the book generated curiosity, excitement, and sentimentality regarding the centennial.

Staff joked that the book would have accumulated over $18,000 in late fees over the past century, but the library no longer imposes fines.

The book will be displayed in a locked case in the Toms River branch of the Ocean County Library. It sits among other relics inside the Hugh B. Wheeler Reading Room.

For more information on the Ocean County Library and its various branches and programs, visit their website.

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