Some libraries have stopped charging overdue fines. Others offer amnesty days where all fines are forgiven provided long lost materials are returned. Other libraries have gotten creative and offered to removed or reduce library fines in exchange for donations to the library's canned goods drive. And still other libraries have resorted to the courts to enforce their return and overdue policies. Check out this story of a man in Texas who was arrested and had to post $200 bond because of an overdue book.
At my library we charge 2 cents per day for books with a maximum of $1 each. Videos are $1 a day with a maximum of $3. It doesn't sound like much, but if you take out 10 DVDs at a time and keep 'em out 3 extra days, that's a $30 fine. If the items are more than five weeks late, we send the patron a bill for the replacement costs. And after more than $5 of fines are recorded on the library card, it won't work for computer log ins, checkouts, renewals, or reserves. But I'm fairly certain we've never called the police.
So where do you stand on overdue books?
