150-year-overdue library book returned in Australia; racks up Rs 16 lakh 'late fee'

Library manager Michelle Hudson holds the book "Antiquities of Athens", after its return in Kiama An Australian public library has received a book that was returned around 150 years overdue, with the "late fee" calculation coming to about A$28,000 (around Rs 16 lakh) under the library's original rules.The rare copy of "Antiquities of Athens", published in 1858, was returned to Kiama Library last week after being discovered during home renovations. The book had been hidden inside a tea crate bricked into a sealed fireplace for decades, which also left it damaged by moisture."We've never had anything that old come back to us," Kiama Library manager Michelle Hudson said.The book was returned by local resident Ross Simmons, who said he found it while renovating a family home. He believes it may have been borrowed by his great-great-grandfather, John Simmons, who lived in the cottage in the 1870s.Kiama Library opened in 1872, and the book was listed as No 506 in its original collection of about 1,000 books. Hudson believes it likely disappeared only a few years after the library began operating.The estimated overdue fine was calculated using the library's original charge of three pence ...