A rare book has been returned to the public library in the Australian coastal city of Kiama after nearly 150 years. The book was found in a trunk hidden behind bricks during the renovation of a house.
According to foreign media reports, the book was published in 1858 and is titled “The Antiquities of Athens.”
According to library manager Michelle Hudson, if a late fee were calculated according to the old rules and adjusted for inflation, it would amount to 28,000 Australian dollars, equivalent to approximately 5.467 million Pakistani rupees.
She said this is the oldest book ever returned in the library’s history, while books have generally been returned 30 to 40 years late in the past.
The library’s records from the 1870s, which contained details of people who borrowed books, have been destroyed, so it could not be determined who had last borrowed the book.
According to the report, under the old regulations, borrowers had to return their previous book and pay all outstanding dues before they could borrow a new one.
A family could be issued a maximum of three books only if at least six members of the family knew how to read. Books were also not issued to people who arrived at the library while intoxicated.
The water-damaged book was listed as number 506 among the library’s initial collection of approximately 1,000 books.
According to Michelle Hudson, it is likely that the book was lost just a few years after the library was established. It will now be placed on permanent display in the library’s local historical collection and will not be loaned out again.
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