After 30 years, overdue book finally returned to U.K. library

A library book that has been overdue for more than three decades was finally returned to the U.K. library where it belongs.

The Crediton Library posted about the late return on their Facebook page Thursday.

“We are very grateful to anonymous borrower who posted us back our copy of Thomas’s ABC this week,” the post says. “We checked the date label and note that this book was slightly overdue by 31.5 years.”

The library included two photos with their post. One showed the book’s cover, and an envelope with no return address.

The other image shows the borrowing card, with the last stamp dated Mar. 25, 1993.

“Fortunately, Libraries Unlimited no longer issue fines on children’s books so we have cancelled our trip to the Bahamas over the Christmas holiday on this occasion,” the post continues.

“It’s a Christmas miracle!” wrote one Facebook user in the comments.

This wasn’t the only severely overdue book returned this holiday season.

Chuck Hildebrandt found a book that he’d unintentionally kept for 50 years, but when he tried to bring it back to the library, they wouldn’t take it.