Returned to the Kiama Library 150 years late (Kiama Library photo).

We occasionally have stories about the return of some way overdue library book. Some are overdue by as much as a century or even a little more. This one breaks all records for anything we have seen. It was 150 years overdue when it showed up at the Kiama Library in New South Wales, Australia. How can that even happen? The Kiama Library opened in 1872, and the book was #506 of the approximately 1,000 books in its original collection.

The book is Antiquities of Athens, by James Stuart and Nicholas Revett, published in 1858. It appears to be uncommon. There were no copies offered on Abebooks save recent softcover reprints. There were two editions prior to 1858, printed several decades earlier. The first carries the dates 1762-1816. The book is based on a trip the authors took in 1757. It is focused on architecture and ornamentation. There was at least one more edition published after this one, perhaps two, but excluding recent softcover reprints, none was published after the 19th century.

We found only one auction record for this third edition after 1902. That was sold by National Book Auctions in 2014. National Book generally carried books that were of lesser value than did the name, or even mid-level auction houses. The price was $58.75. They had expected it to go higher as the estimate was $70-$200. First editions can sell in the thousands, but third editions aren't worth all that much. Maggs sold a copy in 1925 for £0.53. That estimates to about $170 today. Charles Wood offered a copy for many years, most recently 2001, asking $200.

The book was returned to the library by Ross Simmons after some recent renovations in the family home. His family has lived there for many generations. It was found in a tea crate sealed within the fireplace. Based on the timing, Ross Simmons believed the book was borrowed by his great-great grandfather, John Simmons. The fine John Simmons would have had to pay was 28,000 Australian dollars (approximately US $20,000). He wouldn't have been permitted to borrow any more books until the fine was paid, based on the old regulations. However, John Simmons avoided the fine since he would have had to live to around 200 to still be around. He won't be held accountable, nor will his great-great grandson. The library no longer has the records which would have proved who borrowed the book.

Antiquities of Athens will not be going back into circulation. Now that it is an antiquity itself, it will stay in the library's local history collection.