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In the book, three animal friends lose their phones and realize they can still have fun together without them.

DETROIT β€” Fifty years later, a man who grew up in suburban Detroit tried to return a very overdue baseball book to his boyhood library.

The answer: You can keep it β€” and no fine.

Chuck Hildebrandt, 63, of Chicago said he visited the public library in Warren while in town for Thanksgiving, carrying a book titled β€œBaseball’s Zaniest Stars.” He borrowed it in 1974 as a 13-year-old β€œbaseball nut” but never returned it.

Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago holds the book β€œBaseball’s Zaniest Stars,” which was due Dec. 4, 1974, at the Warren, Mich., library, on Dec. 10.

β€œWhen you’re moving with a bunch of books, you’re not examining every book. You throw them in a box and go,” said Hildebrandt, who lived in many cities. β€œBut five or six years ago, I was going through the bookshelf and there was a Dewey decimal library number on the book. β€˜What is this?’”

Inside the book was a slip of paper indicating it was due back at the Warren library on Dec. 4, 1974.

Hildebrandt told The Associated Press he decided to keep the book until 2024 β€” the 50th anniversary β€” and then try to return it. He figured the library might want to publicize the long overdue exchange.

Chuck Hildebrandt of Chicago shows the library slip in the overdue book "Baseball's Zaniest Stars" on Dec. 10.

He said he recently met library director Oksana Urban, who listened to his pitch. Hildebrandt said he hasn’t heard anything since then, though Urban told the Detroit Free Press that all is forgiven.

β€œSome people never come back to face the music,” she said of patrons with overdue books. β€œBut there was really no music to face because he and the book were erased from our system.”

So β€œBaseball’s Zaniest Stars” is back on Hildebrandt’s shelf.

In return, he’s now trying to raise $4,564 for Reading is Fundamental, a nonprofit literacy group. The amount roughly represents a 50-year overdue library fine. Hildebrandt seeded the effort with $457.

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