Comments on: Being Creative with Fine Alternatives

By: littleolyou

littleolyou — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 10:04:25 +0000

wah wah wah.

You can’t pay your bills, you can’t have the services.

If the people don’t have money, have them work off the fines.

Scrubbing toilets is one good solution.

We are not communists.

By: littleoldme

littleoldme — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 09:20:04 +0000

At our library we “check out” the computers like a book and if a patron has a late fee them they cannot use the computers. The only problem I have with this is seeing the unemployed that cannot afford their bill of late charges not get to use a computer to look/apply for jobs. We also have people that come in that had a card as a child and the parents failed to return the books so they cannot use the computers for class work (college). I understand wanting to get our books back but I also see that damage it is doing to our community. After all, The gates Foundation put them here to give equal access to everyone and feel that there are better ways to deal with the late fee issues.

By: MISTER Clean

MISTER Clean — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 14:10:03 +0000

In my library, you work off fines.

If you are late with a book, you have to clean the bathrooms.

If you are late with a DVD or something really valuable, you have to clean the staff refrigerator.

We get 100% on-time returns.

By: Katalin

Katalin — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 10:41:25 +0000

Patrons to volunteer – basically it’s OK. But why for fines? Why not because they just love being heplful? Because they do! They are so nice and enthusiastic and ready to please the librarian. 30 times a day I have to ask them NOT to put back the books onto the shelves. Pleeease… At least not onto THAT shelf. Go away form that bookshelf, will ya?! LEAVE THAT BOOK!!! To tell the truth, I hate just bossing them around. Why frighten those nice people instead of accepting their kind help? “Do It Yourself” libraries would make both patrons and librarians happy, relaxed and satisfied. All of us would become better persons, I am sure. Anyone to join?

By: Miss Gruntled

Miss Gruntled — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 14:05:47 +0000

We stopped charging overdue fines because we discovered that the fines revenue wasn’t coming back to the library at all – it was simply going into some nebulous fund way above our heads. But we had to go to all the trouble of billing. Fuggedabout it! Now patrons get automated “your book is overdue” emails warning about what comes next. And what comes next is that after they’ve had the book for something like three months, they get a bill for replacement costs. That usually prompts them to bring it right in.

By: CTC

CTC — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 14:31:31 +0000

Our library had a food for fines promotion during December. It only worked on late fines, not lost book charges. Some people bring in one can of tuna for about $40 in fines… some bring a grocery bag for $2.

By: Neat Moth

Neat Moth — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 12:28:03 +0000

I just had to pay a whopping fine on a library book Friday. I came with my checkbook, prepared to pay, and when the librarian noticed the book was on libraries (I brought the book in, as I had moved, and didn’t even know I still had it until I unpacked all my books from storage), she asked me about it. I told her I was an MLIS student, and had checked it out a few years ago when I was researching the job, before applying for library school. She laughed as I wrote out the check and said, “Just think of it this way– you’re ensuring your future salary!” If you make use of resources, and abuse them, shouldn’t you have to pay in order to make sure those resources are still there to use (or abuse)?

By: anonymous

anonymous — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:08:45 +0000

Or maybe, just maybe, people could bring the books back on time…? Just a thought.

By: 6d7s7

6d7s7 — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:51:46 +0000

We use a collection agency and still have done this. We simply state that anything turned over to collection is exempt from the amnesty. And I had permission from the City Manager to do it, so when the finance guy questioned it I simply told him to talk to the City Manager and he dropped it.

By: Dr. Brooks

Dr. Brooks — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 05:12:03 +0000

I don’t see any hospitals giving health care for cans. Here is the problem, most libraries have a collection agency at work, hence there is no way to stop it for any special promotions such as this.