A book published in 1858, titled “Antiquities of Athens,” has been returned to the Kiama Library in Australia, approximately 150 years after it was initially borrowed. The volume resurfaced during recent home renovations when a man discovered it encased within a tea crate, bricked into a fireplace. The discovery presents a unique case for the library, which has no record of the original borrower due to lost historical lending documents.
According to details received by The Chenab Times, Michelle Hudson, the manager of Kiama Library, stated that this is the oldest book the library has ever had returned. She noted that while old books are occasionally found during estate cleanouts, typically only dating back 30 to 40 years, a 150-year delay is unprecedented. The library plans to preserve the book, which has sustained some water damage from its time near the chimney, within its local studies collection rather than returning it to circulation. This ensures that the book will not be subject to another extended absence.
The estimated overdue fine, calculated from the original fee of three pence per week, would amount to approximately $19,500 AUD (about $28,000 Australian dollars, factoring in inflation). However, the library has waived this substantial debt. The original lending rules from 1872, when the library opened, were recorded inside the book’s cover. These rules stipulated that a book must be returned and any outstanding fines paid before another could be borrowed. They also included provisions against lending to individuals in a state of intoxication and required proof of reading ability for households to borrow up to three books.
The finder of the book, Ross Simmons, has speculated that the book may have been borrowed by his great-great-grandfather, John Simmons, who owned the house where it was found around the time of the library’s opening. However, without the original library borrowing records from the 1870s, which were lost, there is no definitive way to identify the last borrower. The library has maintained that the book, marked as No. 506 in its original collection of approximately 1,000 books, was likely lost within a few years of its acquisition.
Hudson mentioned that while libraries often social media to share stories of books returned after decades, the return of “Antiquities of Athens” is exceptional. The library now employs enhanced measures to safeguard its collection and prevent such prolonged absences of its literary treasures.
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Global Affairs Desk at The Chenab Times covers international developments, global diplomacy, and foreign policy issues through fact-based reporting, explainers, and analytical pieces. The desk focuses on major geopolitical events, diplomatic engagements, and international trends, with an emphasis on verified information, multiple perspectives, and contextual understanding of global affairs.
