In 1789, shortly after becoming the first U.S. president, George Washington borrowed *The Law of Nations* by Emer de Vattel from the New York Society Library, then the de facto Library of Congress as New York City was the U.S. capital. The book, a key text on international law and diplomacy, was never returned and remained missing for over two centuries. In 2010, while digitizing records, a library staff member discovered the overdue entry. The head librarian humorously noted they weren’t chasing fines but would welcome the book’s return. A month later, Mount Vernon’s estate returned it, 221 years overdue, in a symbolic act of historical closure. No penalties were imposed.