Almost three decades after the book was borrowed in October 1997, a copy of Good Bones by Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale) has been returned to Bexhill Library, East Sussex. The library book, which was nearly 28 years overdue, was one of a staggering 24,000 book handed back to the library after they issued an amnesty; waiving late fines until the end of March.
East Sussex County Council reported that about 5,000 books are not returned to the library annually. Among the titles out on loan the longest from the library are classics including Moby-Dick by Herman Melville, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and War Horse by Michael Morpurgo. Plus, more than 70 copies of Roald Dahl’s children’s books were missing ahead of the amnesty that began on 13th February.
45 of the overdue books returned during this amnesty were issued before 2015, making them at least ten years overdue, including a copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
East Sussex County Council leader Claire Dowling said: “It’s great to see them being returned to our libraries and made available for library users once again.
As well as making them available for others to enjoy, every book returned helps to save money with fewer titles having to be replaced.”
The amnesty continues until 31st March, and book can be returned during opening hours or via a drop box outside when the library is closed.
Dowling adds: “During the amnesty, I urge residents who think they may have an overdue book to look around their homes to see if they can help us recover some of the missing items and allow more people to enjoy them.”
