In 1789, George Washington borrowed a book from the New York Society Library and never returned it. In 2010, Mount Vernon staff returned the book 221 years late, by which time the overdue fine had reached $300,000, adjusted for inflation. (The fine was waived.)
library
If you publish a book in Norway…
If you publish a book in Norway, the government will buy 1000 copies (1,500 if a children’s book) and distribute them to libraries throughout the country.
In February 1961, East Orange…
In February 1961, East Orange, NJ police arrested 14 people from their beds at home after midnight. Their crime was failing to return library books that were more than four months overdue.
In 1930, a lawyer tried to leave…
In 1930, a lawyer tried to leave $50,000 in trust to build a Womanless library. “No Woman Admitted” signs were to be posted at each entrance and no works by women were to be allowed on the premises. His family successfully challenged his will after his death, and the plans were scrapped.
Ivan IV (the Terrible) inherited…
Ivan IV (the Terrible) inherited a library thought to contain ancient works from Libraries of Alexandria & Constantinople. Afraid that books would be stolen, he ordered his men to bury the books, then executed them. He died before revealing the location. Searches for the library continue today.
Cambridge University Library…
Cambridge University Library has run out of room for its 9 million+ books and built a huge store to hold 4 million more. The first book they put in was Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
In 1895, UK prime minister William Gladstone…
In 1895, UK prime minister William Gladstone founded a public library. Aged 85, he wheelbarrowed his personal collection of 32,000 books the ¾ mile between his home and the library. His desire, his daughter said, was to “bring together books who had no readers with readers who had no books”.
There is such an expansive collection of books under…
There is such an expansive collection of books under the British library in their archive, that if a person could read 5 books per day it would take the 80,000 years to complete.
The Sacramento Public Library started a “Library of Things” earlier…
The Sacramento Public Library started a “Library of Things” earlier this year, allowing patrons to check out, among other things, sewing machines and other items that patrons may find useful, but don’t need to own long-term.
A Malawian teenager taught himself how to build a windmill out of junk and bring…
A Malawian teenager taught himself how to build a windmill out of junk and bring power to his village. He then went on to build a second, larger windmill to power irrigation pumps. He did this all from books he read in the library.