Somewhere between Woodstock and Watergate, someone borrowed a book from Emma S. Clark Memorial Library in Setauket—and forgot to give it back. Fast-forward 56 years, and the long-lost title has reappeared, possibly after spending decades sandwiched between shag carpet catalogs and back issues of Soviet Life.
The book, The Soviet People and Their Society: From 1917 to the Present by Pierre Sorlin, was due back in 1969. That’s the same year the Mets won the World Series and man first set foot on the moon. And while Neil Armstrong returned safely, this book apparently took the longer route home.
“56 years …better late than never? 😆” the Emma Clark Library posted to Facebook. “Good thing we no longer have fines for late books! 🤣”
The 1969 due date makes this book more Cold War artifact than current events resource. Still, it’s a serious study of the Soviet Union through the eyes of the ordinary citizen—not just Lenin and Stalin. Sorlin’s work spans six tumultuous chapters of Russian and Soviet history, from pre-revolutionary collapse to the post-Stalin thaw, giving insight into the daily lives of people trying to navigate a system built on upheaval.
According to the library, the returned copy is now being reviewed by the librarians to see whether it should rejoin the collection. As Andrea Baltrus commented on the post:
“This book has gone to the librarians for evaluation. They will evaluate how much current demand there may be for the item.”
Let’s be honest—this one probably isn’t flying off the shelves for beach reading. But whether it returns to circulation or retires into archival glory, it’s already earned a place in Emma Clark lore.
No word yet on who returned it—or if they aged into Social Security while holding onto it—but one thing’s clear: the fine-free policy saved someone a small fortune.
Emma Clark, founded in 1892 and serving the Setauket area, might not have been expecting a Soviet history homecoming this week, but as they say in the library world… better tsar than never.
Photos: Facebook.
