We all know that patrons sometimes return materials late. Sometimes they just forget things, sometimes they lose items, and sometimes they are so in love with our stuff that they just can’t bring themselves to return it.
Things happen.
So we can all rejoice when a library gets a long-lost item returned; and in this library they handed the situation very well!
, you can read the whole article here)
“Nearly 40 years have passed since a vinyl record album by experimental musician Harry Partch was “borrowed” from the Arlington Heights Memorial Library. On Thursday, it returned and library officials accepted it with no questions asked.
“We understand things happen,” said Executive Director Jason Kuhl. “We try to be welcoming and want people to know there’s not some thousand-dollar fine waiting for them.
“We look at returns on a case-by-case basis,” he added. “If patrons have something like this, we encourage them to bring it back. We’re always willing to work with customers.”
In this case, the patron was Arlington Heights native Bill Paige, who said he wanted to come clean and return the collectible to its rightful place.
“It’s an artifact and in mint condition. I wanted to clear the slate,” said Paige, a lifelong music buff, who worked as a writer in the entertainment industry before serving as communications director of Oakton Community College in Des Plaines. He retired in 2010 to Austin, Texas. Continue reading Arlington Heights library patron returns album 40 years late
