Book returned to library after 150 years; fine could have reached $28,000

A resident of Kiama, Australia, discovered a long-lost library book during a home renovation, sparking a unique historical find.

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We've never had anything returned that was so overdue.

Ross Simmons unearthed the 1858 publication, "Antiquities of Athens," while renovating his home. The book was hidden in an old tea chest within a bricked-up fireplace. Michelle Hudson, the manager of the Kiama Library, told CNN that the library has never had a return so overdue. While libraries occasionally recover books kept by patrons for decades, often during estate clear-outs, this instance stands out for its extreme delay.

Simmons speculates that his great-grandfather, John Simmons, may have borrowed the book shortly after the Kiama Library opened in 1872. However, library records from the 1870s are lost, making it impossible to identify the last borrower. The book, originally cataloged as number 506, was likely borrowed and misplaced in the library's early years.

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I suspect that's who borrowed it back then, as he lived in the house and his children were probably still young.

Had the library enforced its original late fees, the fine would be substantial. The book's internal regulations stipulated a penalty of three pence per week for overdue items. Hudson calculated that, accounting for inflation over approximately 150 years, the debt would now amount to about AU$28,000 (approximately 75,000 Polish złoty). The library, however, has no intention of seeking payment.

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Unfortunately, we are missing the crucial link. There is no information in the book itself that would allow us to identify the last borrower.

The recovered regulations also highlight how library policies have changed. In the 1870s, patrons had to return overdue books and pay fines before borrowing new ones. The rules also limited households to borrowing three books if at least six members could read. Today, libraries do not require proof of literacy, and the alcohol policy has been removed, though disruptive behavior can still lead to removal from the premises.

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Perhaps that's why they never returned it.