Volume 10 - Issue 1, February 15, 2008 - Lake Chapala Review
Volume 10 - Issue 1, February 15, 2008 - Lake Chapala Review
Volume 10 - Issue 1, February 15, 2008 - Lake Chapala Review
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<strong>February</strong> <strong>2008</strong> <strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Chapala</strong> <strong>Review</strong><br />
Page 63<br />
Verso<br />
by Larry Reeves The Library “F” Word<br />
Recently the New York Times carried an<br />
article about the non payment of library<br />
fines, and for some library patrons, the<br />
consequences when fines are consistently<br />
ignored. The old dime a day fines are a<br />
thing of the past. A quarter a day is the<br />
going rate in most libraries. (Note: The<br />
<strong>Lake</strong> <strong>Chapala</strong> Society library recently raised their fines<br />
to two pesos per day.) The investment a library makes in<br />
a book does not end with the purchase price. There is a<br />
considerable amount of time and some money spent by<br />
personnel to process the book before it can become part of<br />
the library collection. With book prices being what they are,<br />
and inflation, it is no wonder fine rates have increased.<br />
The library, above all, wants to get their book returned<br />
to their collection. Some libraries have in frustration turned<br />
to collection agencies or local law enforcement agencies for<br />
assistance. The fine is meant to prod the patron to return<br />
what was borrowed. For some unknown reason returning<br />
borrowed books has its own complicated psychology.<br />
I have loaned books to people who would never for a<br />
moment think about cheating me out of $25 but have no<br />
qualms about not returning my borrowed book and in at<br />
least one case denying they even borrowed it. So imagine<br />
the plight of the library with thousands of books to track<br />
and thousands of borrowers who may or may not be book<br />
honest. For some large metropolitan public libraries, the<br />
outstanding fines are in the millions of dollars so I was not<br />
surprised to read about the drastic measures taken by them<br />
to try again to get their books returned.<br />
This last resort of the libraries is drastic, at least drastic<br />
enough to catch the attention of the New York Times. When<br />
your name is given to a collection agency, it is reported to<br />
the credit reporting services and you may become a credit<br />
risk which causes your bank and credit card companies to<br />
make demands to which you are not accustomed. And all<br />
because of a couple of books you forgot to return to your<br />
library. This all may be a case of unforeseen consequences<br />
except that you have also ignored all those pleading notices.<br />
I don’t believe librarians are happy about some of their<br />
patrons losing their good credit scores but I doubt if they<br />
care much either. Many years ago a friend of mine, then<br />
the director of libraries of a large New Jersey suburb asked<br />
the local sheriff for some assistance in retrieving seriously<br />
overdue books. Since the books were government property<br />
the sheriff deputies were dispatched to retrieve them and<br />
demand payment of outstanding fines. Those patrons unable<br />
to immediately satisfy the deputy’s demands were charged<br />
with theft and locked up. From the sheriffs viewpoint the<br />
program was a success. The local newspaper however,<br />
characterized the sheriff ’s actions as raids and accused<br />
the librarian of acting unconscionably. My friend’s defense<br />
was that of unforeseen consequences. He did not want his<br />
patrons jailed. He just wanted the books back. The New<br />
York Times considered the story news that was fit to print.<br />
The Library Journal and Publisher’s Weekly also reported<br />
on the situation. My friend, a member in good standing<br />
of the American Library Association (ALA) became famous<br />
almost overnight, was soon elected to the ALA council and<br />
saw his professional career move forward. He weathered<br />
the “overdue book” storm in his community. Unfortunately<br />
he died of a heart attack while attending an ALA meeting<br />
Philadelphia a few years later. It is generally believed that<br />
his death was not due to the stress of collecting fines.<br />
Not being a public library, I no longer lend books and<br />
am prepared to forgive all those who return my books after<br />
reading this column.