Two Audubon Society books were recently returned by mail to the library at Camelback High School in Phoenix, AZ. The books were returned by a former student who wished to remain anonymous, although librarians could certainly search records to find the student’s name if they cared to.

What’s unusual about this incident is the student with a conscience who returned the two books also included a money order to cover the late fees. The current librarian at Camelback H. S. says the books have been returned to the stacks and the fine money will be used to buy additional books for the school’s library,

How much good can a fine do toward the purchase of new books? Did I mention that the money order to cover any incurred fines was in the amount of $1,000? The former student checked the books out in 1959, and estimated that a fine of 2 cents per day for each of the two books will come to about $745. Why the extra $255?

That’s to include additional fine money in case the fines increased during that past 50 years since the books were taken out.

It appears that the now senior citizen who borrowed the books forgot about the books when the family moved in 1959. The two library books, along with everything else, were packed up with all of the household possessions when the boy’s family moved out of Arizona a half-century ago.