Fact #2 - Answer

According to most sources, the Guinness Book of Records is a close second. And the winner makes sinners of all of us.

The Bible is the highest selling book of all time. It’s been around for over 1,500 years and, although it’s impossible to calculate, it’s estimated that between 5 to 7 billion copies have been printed in over 700 languages. So, it stands to reason that it is the book most likely to be in every single library on the planet and, therefore, most likely to mysteriously go missing.

The Guinness Book of Records was originally published by an Irish brewery. The Managing Director of Guinness, the beer company, had the idea when a group of his friends couldn’t settle an argument as to what was the fastest game bird in Europe. He had a fact book of records commissioned as a promotional tool to help settle arguments in pubs and it went on to become one of the world's bestselling books and trusted brands.

But here’s the shocking truth to this fact. In 2017, a group of libraries in the UK counted their books and checked them against computer records. They found that around 10 thousand books were missing. So, when you crunch the numbers, it’s estimated that a staggering 25 million books have been taken off the shelves and never returned.

I think we should all agree to add an eleventh commandment:

Thou shall not steal books from libraries, no matter how great books are!

Other Interesting Library & Book Facts:

The original publication of the Guinness Book of Records never did answer the question that inspired it, but if you were wondering, the fastest game bird in Europe is the red-breasted merganser.
The word bible is a Greek word that means the scrolls or the books. That’s because the Bible is actually a mini-library containing 66 books
The world's most overdue book was returned to an Australian library over 122 years later. It was a first edition of Charles Darwin’s book called Insectivorous Plants. Having been checked out in 1889, it was found in a retired veterinarian's book collection.
The worlds largest fine for an overdue library book is $345.14 (£203.29). The fine was 2 cent a day and was paid to Kewanee Public Library, Illinois, USA in April 1955 by Emily Canellos-Simms' daughter after she found it clearing out her house 47 years later.