Overdue book is returned to Ballyroan Library after 42 years

a book was returned to Ballyroan Library in Rathfarnham nearly 43 years after being borrowed.

Apparently a very good read for the borrower with no name, Summer on Boomerang Beach by Australian writer Mary Patchett tells the story about a family holidaying on a small island of the Great Barrier Reef and befriending an Aboriginal boy.

It was borrowed for the last time in January 1981 from one of the Dublin Municipal libraries as they were known at the time before South Dublin County Council existed.

“Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing which library the book was borrowed from as it was so long ago and our records don’t go back that far,” a SDCC Senior Librarian told The Echo. “As it wasn’t returned with a record, we don’t know who returned it.”

The book returned to Ballyroan Library after nearly 43 years

“Books are lent for a fortnight,” ironically reads the discoloured library’s record on the book’s frontispiece, and “Damage to or loss of books will be charged to the borrower.”

Luckily for the borrower or for the person returning the book on their behalf, overdue fines were abolished in 2019.

Another librarian told The Echo it wouldn’t be possible to calculate how much the mysterious borrower would have owed to the libraries if fines were still in place.

“Obviously it would be different prices and currencies through the years.

“To give an idea, we could say they would have had to pay 20 pence for every week the book was kept beyond the time it was due.”