Had the Concord Public Library in New Hampshire never announced a fine freeze, an overdue magazine published in 1894 might never have found its way back there.
Eighty-four-year-old John Hanson wasn’t exactly sure how a September 1894 issue of The Century Illustrated Monthly Magazine fell into his hands. He knew that it mysteriously came into his possession during a move in the mid-’60s; it didn’t come from his parents (neither of whom had a library card), nor did it once belong to his late wife, who, though she was an avid reader with a library card, was a stickler for returning things on time. Even if she wasn’t, holding onto a library book for 130 years seemed…unlikely.
Hanson also knew it was time to act, as the fine amnesty would save him about $12,055 in late fees on the 48,220-day loan.
“Yeah, when I saw that, I said to myself: ‘Boy, this would be a good time to bring it back’,” he told NBC News.
A long-awaited return
Upon entering the library, Hanson met Jennifer Needham, Concord Library’s archivist and outreach coordinator, working the desk. He bet her that his return item was unlike anything she had ever seen.
“I honestly thought it was going to be from the 1980s, ’90s, or 2000s. But then he pulled this out, and I was like, ‘Ooo, tell me more!’” she recalled.
Hot topics of the 1890s: outdoor playgrounds and cigars
Indeed, Needham was surprised to find a century-plus-old magazine. This particular edition covered a debate about urban schools needing to provide more outdoor playground space.
“That’s one thing that was really interesting,” Needham told NBC. “I didn’t know this history, that they were arguing that more city schools should have outdoor spaces for children to play. It sounds like during that time, that just wasn’t a priority. It’s interesting that they would play inside then.”
There were also some ads, of course. One hailed Beeman’s Pepsin Gum as “a delicious remedy for all forms of indigestion,” for example. Another associated Hernan Cortez Cigars with “men of brains.”
The magazine also featured a Concord Public Library bookplate that strictly advised that the literature “may be kept for one week.” Well, better very, very, very late than never.
A brief history of The Century Magazine
According to The Guardian, The Century Magazine ran from 1881 to 1930 and covered history, literature, poetry, and current events. Many emerging writers at the time, including Henry James and Mark Twain, shared excerpts of their work in it. In fact, one edition even shared a sneak peek of Twain’s Huckleberry Finn before it was published in 1885.
A delightful surprise, at zero cost
All that said, Hanson might have simply intended to drop off an overdue item to avoid a penalty, but in the process he delivered some unexpected joy.
“We’ve witnessed many happy faces since announcing our fine freeze! Of course, we expected long overdue books to be returned, but certainly not something from the late 19th century!” the Concord Public Library quipped in a Facebook post.
