Book returned to Australian library 150 years after it was borrowed
The edition, titled The Antiquities of Athens, was found during renovations of an old house in Kiama, on the south coast of New South Wales. The family renovating the building found the book in the chimney flue, writes abc.net.au.
Kiama Library Manager Michelle Hudson said that the homeowners did not know how the book ended up there, but decided to return it to the library because they considered the publication valuable.
Despite some damage, the book has been preserved in good condition. Inside, the library's stamp remained, as well as old rules of use: opening hours, borrowing conditions, and the amount of the fine for overdue items.
According to library staff calculations, if the old fine—three pence for each week overdue—were still in effect, the total debt for 150 years would amount to approximately 28,000 Australian dollars (about 19,600 US dollars) taking inflation into account. However, the library no longer charges fines for overdue books.
The returned edition was printed in 1858 and contains about 70 black-and-white illustrations, including pages with large fold-out diagrams.
This book will no longer be lent out to readers. It will be transferred to the library's special historical collection, where it will be stored in a special archival box.
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