January 16, 2007
THE MOTHER JUDD OWED NEARLY THAT MUCH FOR SHOGUN:
Overdue book comes to $171.32, and he's fine with it: Pacoima teacher insisted on paying the late fee on a volume he checked out in 1960. He's touted as a model of integrity -- if not punctuality. (Charles Proctor, January 16, 2007, LA Times)
It took him nearly 47 years, but Robert Nuranen finally returned his overdue library book.He also insisted on paying the library's late fee -- all $171.32 of it.
A social studies teacher at Pacoima Middle School, Nuranen returned the book, "Prince of Egypt," to his hometown library in Hancock, Mich., because he figured it was the right thing to do.
That, and he wanted to finally be rid of it. "I mean, I've probably had overdue library books before," Nuranen said, "but nothing to this degree."
Posted by Orrin Judd at January 16, 2007 9:44 AM
I don't get it. You lose a library book, you pay for the book, you don't pay late charges until the end of time.
Posted by: Lou Gots at January 16, 2007 10:22 AMHe thought he would do a good deed, I suppose. It's kind of nice really (if you can afford it).
Posted by: Bartman at January 16, 2007 12:35 PMThere's still a book on Tammany Hall at my parents' house that I check out from the Bklyn Public library circa 1980 for a 6th grade paper.
When I was a kid I'd just apply for a new library card to avoid paying fines on the books I'd kept out too long.
In college we always made sure to have a fraternity brother on staff at the library so none of us had to pay fines. He'd just erase them from the system.
The sad thing is that the library deaccessioned the book as soon as it was returned.
He's a Finn/Yooper. If you haven't lived there, you wouldn't understand.
Posted by: JimBobElrod at January 16, 2007 7:03 PM