Book returned to library after 43 years in amnesty

A book borrowed nearly 43 years ago has been returned to a library – so overdue it is no longer registered on its system.

The book was handed back to Rye Library, in East Sussex, during an annual amnesty, when people can return overdue items without being judged or fined.

The Potter's Book of Glaze Recipes by Emmanuel Cooper is a guide for potters on how to create their own glazes.

The due date stamped inside the book was June 1983, librarians said.

The longest overdue item returned during an amnesty was the children's book Havelok the Warrior by Ian Serraillier, which was handed back 48 years later, East Sussex County Council said.

The story, about a fight for the Danish throne, should have been returned to Hastings Library in April 1975 but was handed back in 2023.

Since this year's amnesty began on 16 February, a total of 22,160 overdue loans and 683 lost books have been returned or renewed.

Nick Skelton, the council's assistant director of communities, said it was great to have the titles back on shelves for people to borrow and enjoy.

"The annual amnesty is an effective way of reclaiming books without the public fearing being judged or fined," he said.

"The library service is simply happy to have them back."

When the amnesty began, data showed that Hastings and Eastbourne libraries had a combined total of 13,454 overdue loans.

The council also said that 65.4% of all the overdue loans were from the junior fiction section.

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