A book titled “Antiquities of Athens,” published in 1858, has been returned to the Kiama Library in Australia, 150 years overdue. The book was discovered by Ross Simmons during home renovations, hidden in a tea crate bricked inside a sealed fireplace. The library’s manager, Michelle Hudson, noted that it is the oldest item returned in the library’s history, which opened in 1872. The overdue fine for the book, calculated based on historical library fees, would amount to approximately 28,000 Australian dollars ($19,500) today. Although library records from the 1870s are missing, Simmons speculates that his great-great-grandfather, John Simmons, might have borrowed the book but never returned it. The library plans to display the returned book in its local history collection.
Why It Matters
The return of this book highlights the long-standing traditions and changes in library policies over the past century and a half. Kiama Library opened in 1872, with strict borrowing rules that required overdue debts to be settled before borrowing again. Such policies reflected societal norms of the time, including literacy requirements for borrowing and restrictions against lending to intoxicated individuals. The historical context of the library’s operations provides insight into the evolving nature of public libraries and their role in community literacy and education, marking a significant shift from stringent regulations to more inclusive practices seen today.
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