Book returned to San Antonio library 82 years after due date: "I hope there is no late fee"

A library book that was checked out in July 1943 was finally returned to the San Antonio Public Library, nearly 82 years late.

The book, "Your Child, His Family, and Friends" by Frances Bruce Strain, was due 28 days after it was checked out, the library said. When it was returned in June, it came with a letter, which the library shared on social media Thursday.

The writer, identified as P.A.A.G. from Oregon, said they found the book in their father's possessions after he died.

"The book must have been borrowed by my Grandmother," the letter reads.

A library book 82 years overdue made its way back to SAPL! “Your Child, His Family, and Friends” by Frances Bruce Strain... Posted by San Antonio Public Library on Thursday, August 14, 2025

In 1943, the writer's father was 11 years old