The work of history, Queen Victoria, was published in London in 1897 before being shipped across the globe to New Zealand, where it formed part of the Dunedin library's original collection on opening day in 1908.
And, for the past 100 years, the book has sat on a variety of shelves in the Dunedin library - upstairs, downstairs, and, more recently, relegated to the library's two-level basement storage area below Moray Pl.
The wait for someone to leaf through the book's pages has been a long one - since 1996, when the book was added to the library's recently-computerised records, not one person has requested it be brought up from the dungeon.
Despite that, the book's continued existence as part of a free, public collection is part of what makes the city's library so special, Dunedin City Council library services manager Bernie Hawke said yesterday.
He was among about 70 to gather at the library yesterday afternoon to mark the Dunedin Public Library's centenary celebrations.
Others included Mayor Peter Chin, Dunedin Public Library Association president Merle van de Klundert and volunteers involved in this year's centenary activities.
Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, Mr Hawke said the Queen Victoria book was one of 300,000 books, magazines, newspapers and other items stored in the library's basement "stacks", which were rooms full of movable shelves housing less-read, but still treasured, items.
"Dunedin is not unique, but certainly rare, in having such extensive stacks," he said.
"Some of the more recent libraries don't have that heritage to keep, or have deliberately chosen to keep their collections `current'.
"People do want current collections, but sometimes they want old things too," he said.
A quick browse of the shelves yesterday unearthed other ageing treasures, including Art in Ancient Egypt, published in London in 1883, and copies of the Illustrated London News from 1851.
Another book, the Official History of The War, clearly pre-dated the second effort.
All the items were carefully stored, and the collection added to each year.
Some items were either sold or destroyed, however, once deemed past their use-by date - either worn beyond repair, out-of-date or without historic value.
Dunedin library centenary co-ordinator Barbara Frame said the library had been slow to get started, with completion of the Carnegie building - named after benefactor Andrew Carnegie - in Moray Pl in 1908.
"Most large New Zealand cities, and some smaller ones, had public libraries by the end of the 19th century.
It's even more curious when you think that this was a busy commercial city with a strong dedication to education, and New Zealand's first university."
The library finally opened its doors on December 2, 1908, and was the first free public library in New Zealand - a condition of Mr Carnegie - initially with 1000 books, plus subscriptions to newspapers and magazines.
In 1913, Robert McNab offered his collection of 4200 items, and one of the country's great New Zealand collections was established, and A.
H. Reed gave his collection of rare books and manuscripts, beginning in 1948 and continuing into 1970s, she said.
The new Moray Pl library building, beside the Dunedin City Council offices, opened in 1981.
"People from 1908 would hardly recognise us now," she said.
"They might recognise a few of the books, though.
