150-Year-Overdue Book Returned to Australian Library

A copy of "Antiquities of Athens," which dates back to 1858, has been returned to Kiama Library in Australia approximately 150 years overdue. The book was found by an individual during home renovations, hidden within a tea crate that was bricked into a sealed fireplace. According to library manager Michelle Hudson, the overdue fine is estimated to be around 28,000 Australian dollars ($19,500), calculated from the original fee of three pence per week noted inside the book. Unfortunately, the library cannot identify the last borrower due to the loss of the lending journal from the 1870s. This particular book, designated as No. 506 in the library's initial collection of roughly 1,000 volumes, exhibits water damage from its time beneath a chimney. It will be included in the library's local history collection and will not be available for lending again. In the 1870s, library policies mandated that borrowers return books and settle fines before borrowing again, and limited borrowing to households with at least six literate members, while also denying service to intoxicated individuals.