Kid’s Note Found in Returned Book to Karl Road Library —Staff Waste No Time Making a Call

By Jack Beresford, Newsweek

Staff at an Ohio library (Columbus Metropolitan Library, Karl Road) were shocked to discover a note alongside something else unexpected in an overdue book returned by a young girl, according to Newsweek.

In a post shared to Threads, Columbus Metropolitan Library revealed a book was returned to its Karl Road branch earlier this month with $10 and a handwritten note addressed to “library staff” stuffed inside it. The note, written by a girl called Lily, explained that she was returning Practical Rules for Cursed Witches a day after learning it was overdue.

“I bit off more than I could chew by checking 11 books out,” Lily wrote. “I’ve made progress with 2 left.” She went on to apologize for the late return of the book, writing “thank you and sorry if anyone wanted it.” In the top right-hand corner, she added: “P.S. Here’s $10.00 for troubles.”

Brandon Thomas, Karl Road branch manager at Columbus Metropolitan Library, told Newsweek: “Lily’s generosity touched our staff.

“We see random acts of kindness every day, but to see a young person make such a pointed attempt to do the right thing, well, that really takes the cake,” he said.

There was one further twist in the tale, though. Columbus Metropolitan Library is one of several public libraries to do away with overdue fines. It is part of a wider shift designed to encourage circulation.

A survey, published in the Library Journal, around 92 percent of U.S. public libraries charged overdue fines; by 2022, that dropped to 36 percent. The shift toward fine‑free models had started to have a positive impact in that time, with 26 percent of libraries reporting an increase in circulation.

What that meant in the case of Lily was that her kind $10 was not required. Instead, something a little different was suggested. “A staff member called Lily’s dad,” Thomas said. “Since Columbus Metropolitan Library no longer charges overdue fees, we invited Lily to return to the branch to collect her money. She came back the same day.”

When she came in, staff were able to congratulate Lily on her impressive reading efforts. “With all the activities and distractions available in the world, we love to see kiddos like Lily devouring books!” Sarah Wright, Young Minds Program Leader at Columbus Metropolitan Library, told Newsweek.

“Columbus has a strong reading community with the Columbus Book Festival, Columbus Booklovers Trail, and high participation in our Summer and Winter Reading Challenges.

“It’s awesome to see that love of reading continuing into the next generation. We have high hopes for the future of reading!” Wright said.

Though Lily is above the average, it is important for children of all ages to embrace reading in whatever form suits them. “We encourage children to read for 15 to 20 minutes a day outside of school to stay on track with their grade level. But, of course, reading is a skill and so, the more the better,” Brooke Thomas, K-12 School Success Leader at Columbus Metropolitan Library, told Newsweek.

“If a child is struggling to read at this age, partner reading with a trusted adult is a great bonding activity as well.”

However, at a time when kids have so much to entertain themselves with, there was something reassuring about Lily’s note and enthusiasm for reading. The only hope is that others like her follow suit.

“Libraries are vibrant places to discover new worlds, learn new skills, and imagine ‘what if,’'” Lauren Hagan, CEO, Columbus Metropolitan Library, told Newsweek.

“Columbus Metropolitan Library staff engage young children, tweens, and teens in exploring the world around them through creative programs and events like chef battles, K-pop dance parties, and youth-focused author talks.

“We love when people of all ages visit our buildings; we offer something for people at all stages of life.”

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