Many of us probably know of an old library book on our shelves, in our cars, or lost long ago that we carelessly forgot to return, but did you know that you can possibly face jail time for this offense?

In October, Jory Enck got the country's attention when he was arrested in central Texas' Copperas Cove after failing to return a GED study guide that was due three years ago.

"I think I will probably just purchase a book from Amazon," Enck told The Killeen Daily Herald.

In September, Texas implemented a state law that defines failing to return a library book as theft and charges up to a $100 fine per offense. The law came after libraries already suffered from smaller budgets and rising costs. According to Gloria Meraz, a spokeswoman for the Texas Library Association, unreturned library books have cost Texas libraries over $18.2 million.

Texas is not alone. Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts and Iowa are also implementing heftier punishments on forgetful library members. In fact, one Iowan spent a week in jail for forgetting to return a book.

Mark Gould, who works for the American Library Association, said that jail time for an unreturned library book "is an uncommon occurrence, but can happen once in a while."

Enck, 22, went to jail after police were called to his apartment for an unrelated incident. He was arrested after officers discovered he had an arrest warrant out for his library book. Enck was released on $200 bond, requested time-served and returned the book.

Copperas Town issued an ordinance in 2002 that charges a $200 fine per library item starting 20 days after a written letter is sent requesting the book's return. If the fine isn't paid, the town's municipal court issues an arrest warrant.

Other library offenders who saw the stricter side of the law include a 2011 man from Newton, Iowa who went to jail for week after failing to return 11 books and six CDs, a 5-year-old from Massachusetts who received a visit from police last year and two Baytown, Texas females who were arrested under arrest warrants during traffic stops in 2006 and 2010.

"They feel the budgetary pressure, no doubt, but what we've seen over the years is that, no matter what the library does, there's still a percentage of folks who need third party encouragement," Jenes Bowling, who works for Unique Management Services, a collection agency that serves over 1,600 libraries in the country, said.

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