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In July 1899 Early Works of Aubrey Beardsleyit was added to the Worcester Public Library collection.
The book, a compilation of illustrations by the British artist and poet, remained in the collection until 1973, when it was deregistered and never returned.
Recently, the book was returned by a resident of Boston who wanted to save it from being thrown away.
It was brought to the staff of the Cambridge Public Library, who soon realized that the book was not from their catalogue.
Then they noticed the original birth date: “May 22, 1973.”
Cambridge Public Library Collections Manager Kathy Penny sent the book to Worcester Public Library with a handwritten note that read, “Back to its rightful home, 51 years later.”
Alex London, a local historian and genealogy librarian in Worcester, was the first to receive the book and was amazed by its return.
“But not only did they find it, but it’s in such good shape.”
London then brought this up to Jason Homer, the library’s executive director, who replied with a laugh, “Why did Cambridge have our book from the 70s?”
In Homer’s 15 years in the industry, he said he’s seen books returned late or not at all, but never after 51 years.
“With something this old, over 100 years old, how many people have touched it? How many people have worked with it, how many people have read it?” Homer said.
“It’s something that’s really fun to think about, preserving the materials that we can have.”
On November 1, the Worcester Library released a Facebook post announcing the long-awaited return of the book.
“Thank you to the Cambridge Public Library (CPL) and the Boston resident who found this book and took care of it Early Works of Aubrey Beardsley has been returned to its rightful place in our collection after 51 years,” the announcement reads.
If the library continued to issue late fees, the borrower of the book would have to pay about $US3,000 ($2,000).
However, in 2020 the Worcester library, along with others in the state, suspended late fines, citing research that did not encourage people to return books within a reasonable time.
The book was 18,738 days late, according to Homer.
At the Worcester library, people have to pay to replace books that are 42 days past their due date, he said.
“After an item is 6 weeks late, we assume it’s lost and charge people the cost of replacing the book.” said Homer.
“Unfortunately, since this book was loaned before the Internet, we have no record of whether anyone was charged for this item.”
The inspiration for the 125-year-old book, Aubrey Beardsley, was a British visual artist who greatly influenced modern artists of the late 19th century.
His artwork was inspired by Japanese woodcut artists and characterized by a unique style of curved lines, for which he was praised during his short career.
Beardsley’s work is said to have influenced the Art Nouveau style, a decorative, international art depicting the curves of nature.
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Beardsley died at the age of 25 from tuberculosis.
His work continued to influence the modernist and aesthetic movement even after his death in 1898, a year before the book was written.
“For us, this book is a powerful reminder of the need for physical preservation of materials and information,” Homer said. “
So much can be lost in the digital world, and as consumption grows, it’s an important reminder that respecting art and expression is an essential part of our experience as humans.”
The book is currently not in the library’s online catalog.
It is now kept in a safe place for preservation and is only available for reading in the library.
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