Patron walks up with some books, and a much older woman stands behind them with her iPhone up, taking video. I’m all, “uhhhhhh” but I’m curious so I let it happen.
Patron: Hi, I’ve got some books to return.
Me: Sure. Are they late?
Patron: Little bit, yeah.
So I take the books, which are all clearly marked as FLP property, and I start leafing through them. No item ID, no barcode, no nothing. Then the woman with the iPhone stifles a laugh.
Me: Sooooooo… exactly how late are these?
Patron: 42 years.
Me: oh god what do I do
Older Woman: HAH
Older Woman: THIS IS WHAT YOU GET
Patron: This is my mother. She dragged me here all the way from Boston to return these. I mist have been a teenager when I took them out.
Me: Head of Department! Supervisor help!
Head of Department: What?
Me: These books are 42 years overdue. What do I do?
Head of Department: Uhhhh
So to make a long story short, there was no record these items had ever existed, since paper records were purged whenever we converted to computers and nobody cared to transfer a lost item from the late 70s into the new system. Head of Department had to hand off the books to  Materials Management so they could create a new record. Patron’s accumulated fine after 42 years?
$0.