A Library Book Returns Home—36 Years Late

A library book enjoyed a spectacular trip around the world before coming home 36 year later.

Fairfax County (Virg.) Public Library (FCPL) recently posted on its Facebook page a heartwarming story about Dimitris Economou who found a copy of the book, “Harry the Dirty Dog” on his dad’s bookshelf while visiting his parents in Greece.

Published in 1956, the book tells the story of a dog who runs away from home to avoid taking a bath. He gets quite dirty on his adventures and is unrecognizable when he finally returns home. A bath fixes that.

It’s a story that would prove quite prescient, as Economou would soon discover.

After reading the book to his 7-year-old son, Economou realized this copy of “Harry the Dirty Dog” was a library book from FCPL and that it was due on November 6, 1989. Economou was 5 years old at the time.

Economou’s parents were diplomats, and the book—which they had checked out for their son decades earlier when they lived in the U.S.—had traveled the world with them with stops in Syria, the Netherlands, Japan, and, finally, Greece. Economou brought the book back to Virginia and returned it to FCPL’s Chantilly Regional Library with a note that read:

“This book was checked out November 6, 1989 by my parents who were diplomats in DC at the time. They are now retired in Greece and I found this book on their shelves.

It traveled the world and was well taken care of as you can see. And now it can find its way home.”

The tale of the world-traveling book made waves nationally, with publications like the Washington Post, Smithsonian Magazine, and Northern Virginia Magazine all highlighting the story.

FCPL stopped charging late fees years ago, but Economou said he would have happily paid a fine to support FCPL.

Ingrid Bowers, the branch manager at the library, was working when Economou dropped off the book. She told the Washington Post that its return shows the love that people have for libraries and books.

“People really care about library books, and most people really care about getting them back,” she said. “And this kind of proves it, that they really cared about getting the book back to us.”

“Harry the Dirty Dog” is now back on the library’s shelves, waiting for new adventures with new readers.

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