The Great Late Library Book

<p>Hey, I hear that W&L recently got a book returned that had been checked out 125 years ago or so. Apparently Officer Bookman, the library's code enforcement officer cracked the case. ;)</p>

<p>Anyone know what the fine was?:eek:</p>

<p>I'd heard the perp may be suspended or even expelled! :confused: :p</p>

<p>It's good knowing there are still librarians who take their work seriously. :cool:</p>

<p>The fine at today’s rate would have been $52,858. Fortunately, the “perp” had the good sense to negotiate it down to $0 in exhange for returning the book. But it did cost him a trip to Lexington to hand deliver it. :)</p>

<p>I don’t understand this situation. Anyone who checked out the book has been dead for a long time. How can we speak of the “perp”? It seems that what we really have is a person who is assuming responsibility for the failures of a relative, prior owner of a house, or some unknown person. How did the book come into the possession of the person who returned it? How long ago did he/she gain possession?</p>

<p>Thanks in advance for any insight on these questions.</p>

<p>Lol, yes, the real perp is definately dead. The book was actually stolen by a Union soldier who thought he was looting it from VMI’s library before they burned it down. He actually wrote a note in the book to that affect. It has since been passed down through his family. The most recent recipient decided it should go back to it’s rightful owner, and upon inspection, it became clear that it was actually stolen from W&L, not VMI. It’s part of a volume set of which W&L still holds the other accompanying volumes. Cool story actually.</p>

<p>Yo Scotty, my man! I’m really a W&L admissions officer, and we use this modus operandi and clever ploy to ferret out those who might not be up to the razor-sharp intellectual standards of President Washington and General Lee.</p>

<p>Helps to thin the herd of undesirable apps and gene pools. I herebye regret to inform you that you and all future offspring will not be eligible for a W&L Library Card.</p>

<p>Miss Sadie Ratchet
Library and Admission Commission
Washington&Lee University</p>