[Grovenet] Library Fines?

[Michael O'Brien]

At 09:37 AM 6/8/2006, Ed Davie wrote:
>My opinion on library fines.  If it ain't broke, don't fix it!  It's 
>worked fine all this time.

And another point:  our library is one of the few places I can think of 
that doesn't involve some kind of commercial transaction.  Its entire focus 
is on transmitting knowledge and information, not making money.  And how 
common is that nowadays?  To me, this ambiance is unique and refreshing.

Sure, we pay taxes and make contributions to keep the library going, but 
that's very different.

There are also administrative costs involved in keeping track of fines 
accrued and collected, usually in very small sums of money.  And the 
disappointment and embarrassment of a child who picks out some books and 
goes to the checkout counter, only to learn that she can't check out 
anything because of a small fine that she can't pay that day.

People can avoid fines by returning books on time, of course, but there are 
other ways to encourage timely returns (like the automated telephone system 
that reminds people about overdue materials).  Finally, I doubt that busy 
librarians have much interest in being The Enforcer over such petty amounts 
of money.

Michael