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No Fines Work Fine at Sisson Library |
Carole Howard & Library Staff | 5/14/08
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"Conscience jar" accepts donations in lieu of overdue fines at the library |
After a five-month test of a new policy eliminating fines for overdue books and other materials, library director Jackie Welch has announced that the new policy is working so well she is keeping it in place.
That means that for the foreseeable future there will be no fines for overdue books, CDs, tapes, DVDs and other materials, and all past fines are wiped from your record. The goal of both these major changes is to make it easy for people to return books to the library so they are available for the enjoyment of other patrons.
Library books and other materials are due three weeks from the day they are borrowed. They can be renewed for an additional three weeks unless they are so popular that someone else has reserved them. Previously, fines for late returns had been 10 cents a day. With the maximum allowable 12 books checked out to an adult, for example, plus additional books for your children, the fines can quickly add up if you get behind or forget to return the books.
In the past, fines for overdue books and other materials have brought in approximately $2,500 a year to our library. When the no-fines policy was implemented, Jackie borrowed an idea from the Bayfield Library to put a “conscience jar” on the main desk for people to voluntarily contribute the equivalent of fine money if they chose. It has resulted in many donations, but not quite as much as the old fines would have generated. Based on our five-month experience, we would be short somewhere between $500 and $1,000 at the end of the year.
 “Bear in mind that the objective of fines has never been to punish people or even to make money for the library,” Jackie said. “We just want to encourage our patrons to bring books back on time so they are available for other people to enjoy. For a small library like ours, this is an important issue since we do not have a lot of space or unlimited finances to purchase more books and materials. The good news is that since we implemented this new policy more books have been returned faster and fewer have been lost.”
No-fines policies are becoming increasingly common in libraries around the country, with benefits to both the local community and the library. “Many people are willing and able to pay their fines.” Jackie said. “But for those patrons for whom the fees are a hardship, we are happy to waive the charges. Our mission and our purpose is to make it easy for people to read.”
This amnesty policy does not apply to lost book fees. If you lose a library book or any other material, you must pay the replacement cost – the price plus a $5 processing fee – and you lose your right to borrow any more books or other materials until you do so. Please note that the library considers books or materials “lost” other than when a patron says they are lost. Seven days after the due date, we send out a past due notice. If the materials are not returned within two weeks, a final notice is sent saying if the materials are not returned within 14 days they will be considered lost and the patron’s account will be charged the replacement cost. |
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