NC woman returns library book, 7 years later

NEW BERN, N.C. — Seven years ago, Rachel Kwasnick checked “Crime and Punishment” out of the New Bern-Craven County Public Library for a school project. She returned it Wednesday.

The New Bern Sun Journal reported Thursday that the 23-year-old woman said she only read the first two chapters when she was a student at West Craven High School.

The book came back during a library program that forgives fines for overdue books in return for food donations to Religious Community Services.

She said fear of punishment kept her from returning the book and thought the fines would be too high. She was surprised when she learned that the library caps fines at $5.

Kwasnick donated several cases of canned goods.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)