Nearly 50 years after eighth-grader Chuck Hildebrandt first checked out a copy of Baseball’s Zaniest Stars from the Warren Public Library in Michigan, the retired 63-year-old attempted to return the book. And while the library declined to accept the overdue title, Chuck turned the quirky moment into a charitable cause.
Chuck, from Chicago, Illinois, launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise money equivalent to what his overdue fine would have been. At the Warren Library’s current rate of 25 cents per day, the fine for the 18,255 days the book was overdue would total $4,563.75. Rather than pay a nonexistent fee, Chuck aims to donate the funds to support literacy programs and libraries.
The fundraiser, titled “Help Me Donate 50-Year Overdue Library Book Fine to Charity,” has already begun gaining attention – overshooting his original target.
On the campaign’s page, Chuck explains: “I thought it would be fun to turn this long-overdue book into an opportunity to give back to the institutions that foster a love of reading and learning.”
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A Nostalgic Discovery
Chuck, a retired digital marketing entrepreneur, confessed that he had rediscovered the book five or six years ago. Yet, he deliberately held onto it until the exact 50th anniversary of the checkout date for added impact.
“I was so embarrassed,” Chuck admitted when he first noticed the Dewey Decimal System sticker on the spine, which sparked his resolve to finally make things right.
The former library branch where he borrowed the book, the Walt Whitman Branch on Schoenherr Road, has since closed. Nevertheless, Chuck’s intention to return the book during a Thanksgiving visit to Michigan showed his enduring appreciation for the library and its role in his youth.
From Overdue Notices to Overdue Stories
Though Chuck vaguely recalls receiving overdue notices during his youth, the book traveled with him through multiple states and moves, from Milwaukee to Baltimore to Chicago, stashed among dozens of other books. By the time it resurfaced, the library’s records had long since been purged.
“Some people never come back to face the music,” said Oksana Urban, the Warren Public Library director, speaking with the AP. “But there was really no music to face because he and the book were erased from our system.”
With no outstanding penalties or need for the book, the library generously allowed Chuck to keep the vintage title as a souvenir. Urban jokingly added, “Shame on you,” while noting the library harbored no ill will and wanted Chuck to keep the book as a keepsake.
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Baseball Passion Rooted in Numbers
Chuck’s love for baseball blossomed in his childhood, inspired by the 1968 Detroit Tigers and his fascination with the box scores in the newspaper. His affinity for the sport grew deeper, fueling his playing career and his Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) membership.
As an accomplished SABR member, Chuck has twice won awards for his oral research presentations.
His passion for baseball history and quirky plays means the tales in Baseball’s Zaniest Stars, a book by Howard Liss that recounts the antics of colorful players like pitcher Rube Waddell and infielder Germany Schaefer, is a perfect match.
A Charitable Twist to a Zany Tale
Chuck wanted to turn the media intrigue his story offers into a charming case of philanthropy by turning his overdue library book into a fundraising drive and encouraging the next generations to pick up a book and get reading.
To support Chuck’s campaign and contribute to literacy programs, visit his GoFundMe page: Help Me Donate 50-Year Overdue Library Book Fine to Charity.
For Chuck, the journey from “young library scofflaw” to proud book custodian and now philanthropist has come full circle.
And while the book may not return to its original shelves, it has undoubtedly found a place on his bookshelf at home.