BETTER LATE THAN NEVER—Boyd Applegate returned his library book 47 years late, but college librarians waved the $4,200 overdue fee. (Photo By Cheri-Ann Inouye / Staff)
By Cheri-Ann Inouye
Boyd Applegate checked out “Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare” 47 years ago from the Southwestern College Library and, uh, well, forgot to return it.
It was 1975 when the adventure began. Gerald Ford was president, Elton John was the world’s rock star, “Saturday Night Live!” debuted and two tech geeks opened Microsoft in their garage. And Applegate became forever linked to the Bard and a science fiction legend.
He said he meant to return the book someday, but “someday” never came. Years rolled by, then decades. Isaac Asimov died in the meantime. (Shakespeare was already dead.)
Fate intervened, or else Applegate passed through a wormhole. Out of nowhere one morning appeared Dr. Mark Sanchez, Southwestern College President and JEDI Warrior (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion), at a breakfast joint called Hob Nob Hill in Banker’s Hill. Even though Sanchez is not a banker, Applegate suspected he might be experiencing a rich coincidence.
“He noticed my Jaguar pin, that’s really how the conversation started,” Sanchez recalled. “He let me know he had a late book to return. I gave him my card and (invited) him to call me if he ever wanted to return the book.”
Sanchez’ JEDI powers of persuasion worked and Applegate returned home locked onto a mission. “Someday” had finally arrived. Applegate dug through his dusty bookshelf for “Asimov’s Guide to Shakespeare” and … it wasn’t there. Parting is such sweet sorrow!
Applegate said he was determined to keep his word to Sanchez to return the wayward 800-page tome, so he tracked down a gently pre-owned copy.
Meanwhile, in a library far, far away, busy minds calculated the fine for a 47-year-overdue book. The answer: $4,197.50. It may have been cheaper to violate the time/space continuum.
Applegate was undeterred.
“My parents raised me to be a responsible man,” he said. “On the way back home, I talked to my mom (in Heaven). I told her I will always do what’s right, just not always right away.”
As he rolled his car on to campus he flirted with the notion that police might be waiting for him. Alas, Chief Marco Bareno declined to roll code and apprehend the serial procrastinator. Applegate slipped unnoticed on to campus and walked undetected to the president’s office. He and Sanchez then traveled the final part of the epic journey together, returning the book to a library building that did not exist when Asimov contemplated Shakespeare.
“If any of you find yourself in a similar situation with an overdue book, you’ll feel good completing that little piece of work,” he said. “I felt like I really accomplished something huge!”
