150-Year-Overdue Book Found in Australian Library, Highlights Historical Lending Practices
A book titled 'Antiquities of Athens', published in 1858, was recently returned to a public library in Kiama, Australia, approximately 150 years overdue. The book was discovered during home renovations, bricked inside a sealed fireplace. The library, which opened in 1872, has no records of the original borrower due to the loss of its 19th-century lending journal. The overdue fine, calculated based on historical rates, would amount to approximately 28,000 Australian dollars. The book, marked as No. 506 in the library's original collection, will now be displayed in the library's local history collection. 
