150-year-overdue library book returned in Australia; racks up Rs 16 lakh 'late fee'
A library received a book returned after 150 years overdue. The calculated late fee reached approximately twenty-eight thousand Australian dollars. This rare book was discovered during home renovations and was damaged. It was borrowed by a local resident's great-great-grandfather in the 1870s. The book will now join the library's local history collection.
A rare book, Antiquities of Athens, published in 1858, has been returned to Kiama Library in Australia after being overdue for around 150 years. The overdue fine, calculated using the library's original rules, amounted to approximately A$28,000 (Rs 16 lakh). The book was discovered during home renovations in a tea crate hidden inside a sealed fireplace, and it had been damaged by moisture.
Kiama Library manager Michelle Hudson expressed surprise at receiving such an old book. Library records indicate the book was likely borrowed by Ross Simmons' great-great-grandfather, John Simmons, who lived in Kiama in the 1870s. The overdue fine was calculated using the library's original charge of three pence per week, but library records from that period have been lost, making it difficult to identify the last borrower.
The library's 19th-century rules stated that households with at least six members able to read could borrow up to three books at a time. Ross Simmons, a 77-year-old local resident, found the book and believes it may have been borrowed by his great-great-grandfather. He expressed no concern about the century-old overdue fine and stated he was not worried about being held responsible.
The book will now be added to the library's local history collection and will not be returned to circulation.
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