Colorado library receives book 37 years after its due date: 'Long strange trip'

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A library book due nearly 37 years ago was recently returned to a library in northern Colorado, the High Plains Library District announced in a Facebook post on Monday, March 18. 

"This book, ‘Psychedelics’ by Bernard Aaronson, was due back May 30th, 1987," the High Plains Library District said in the post.

"It was returned to Riverside Library and Cultural Center ... last week. 13,437 days late! Or, 36 years, 9 months, and 13 days late," said the library, located in Evans, Colorado.

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"But, hey, we get it. Sometimes you get busy. For almost 37 years. It happens," said the library. 

The library also joked that perhaps "a book on psychedelics may, MAY, have affected someone's perception of time."

The book was originally due back on May 30, 1987. The patron left a note apologizing for the delay, joking, "It's been a long strange trip!!" (High Plains Library District)

The book was anonymously returned using a drive-through drop box, according to James Melena, community relations and marketing manager at the High Plains Library District, who shared the details with Fox News Digital in an email. 

While the person who checked out the book will remain a mystery, the library patron did leave a note inside the book, saying, "Sorry so late!! It's been a long strange trip!!" 

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The High Plains Library District stopped charging late fees years ago, Melena told Fox News Digital. 

"We used to charge 10 cents a day per overdue item, so if we charged [a late fee], it would have been over $1,300," he said. 

But even if fees were still in place, the fine would have been waived in this case, said Melena, "since it's such a funny and odd story."

The book was dropped off anonymously at the Riverside Library and Cultural Center's drive-through return box. (High Plains Library District)

Now, patrons are charged the price of an item if it has not been returned after 42 days, he said — and that fee is removed if the item is eventually returned, "even if it is really late." 

The High Plains Library District believes that "Psychedelics" holds the record for most-overdue book ever returned to the library. 

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With the return of "Psychedelics", the current most overdue book in the High Plains Library District is a copy of "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," which was due back in Feb. 2017, said Melena. 

The book was returned 13,437 days late. If the High Plains Library District still charged late fees, the patron would have been fined over $1,300.  (High Plains Library District)

When "Psychedelics" was checked out, the High Plains Library District was known as the Weld Library District, and included library locations throughout Colorado's Weld County. 

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The name was changed to High Plains Library District in 2008 as part of a re-branding effort, said the library's website.

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There are presently "seven branch libraries, bookmobile services and six autonomous member libraries governed by their own separate boards of trustees" that comprise the High Plains Library District. 

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