A library book was returned to the San Antonio Public Library in June 2025, almost eighty-two years after it was borrowed. The book, Your Child, His Family, and Friends by Frances Bruce Strain, was checked out in July 1943 and later discovered in Oregon inside a box of old belongings. The person who returned it explained through a letter that the borrower’s grandmother, Maria del Socorro Aldrete Flores, had taken it with her when she transferred to Mexico City to work at the United States Embassy. At that time, the fine for overdue books was three cents per day, an amount that would reach almost sixteen thousand dollars in today’s value. However, the San Antonio Public Library removed overdue fines in 2021, making the return of the book possible without financial concern.

The book, which discussed how parents could guide children in personal relationships, is still in good condition after eight decades. It is now displayed in the Central Library until August before being donated to the Friends of San Antonio Public Library for fundraising purposes. Library officials emphasized that while the return was remarkable, it was not the longest delay on record. According to Guinness World Records, the most overdue library book was returned in 1956 to Sidney Sussex College, University of Cambridge, after being borrowed in 1668, a period of 288 years. The incident highlights the enduring value of books as cultural artifacts and the resonance of family histories across time. It also shows the tenacity of libraries in preserving public resources, the gravitas of community memory, the fortuity of rediscoveries, and the perpetuity of written knowledge.