I have to PAY my FINES?!?!!ELEVENTY!!

[RebeccaOTool]

Small suck from my local library. I went for the first time this summer, and had a small fine (about $2) to pay off, meaning I had to go the the front desk, not one of the self-checkout stations. I witnessed this...

Cast O' characters:
SC: You know it.
L: Librarian(s)
Me:

SC: Okay, I brought my books back. Why can't I check any more out?
L: There's still an overdue fine of $15. You can't check anything out until you pay that off. And you didn't turn in (some really expensive book, over $200). You have to pay for that too.
SC: Yeah, I can't find that one. Can't I check this stuff out anyway?
L:You have to pay for that book, and pay the fine on the other books before the system will let you check out new ones.
SC: But I brought the other books BACK!
L: Yes, three weeks late. You still have to pay the fine on them.
SC: But I brought the other books BACK!!!!
Repeat ad nauseum.
Me: (Smiles real politly at the other Librarian) Hi, I have a $2 fine I'd like to pay.
Other L: You don't have to pay until it hits $5, you know. It'll let you check things out anyway.
Me: I know. I just don't like my fines to build up.
Other L: *Winks at me*

The SC huffed off without paying his fine or getting his books, muttering about how the government's screwed him over. You have to pay your fines, buddy.

[jedimaster91]

Hehe. Our library system starts blocking people at $10 fines, and they can't use the computers or check out books until they pay it. I love it.

[PepperElf]

and if i'm not mistaken, the law can go after them too
especially since they're owing money to a public service

[Fro]

and if i'm not mistaken, the law can go after them too
especially since they're owing money to a public service

They can. Some lady owed $50+ (or some ridiculous amount) becuase she never returned 2 books. She was arrested and had to pay her fines plus some. I heard about it on Inside Edition or one of those shows like it, so that's why I don't remember all the details.

[reimero]

Actually, it's like any other collections issue. Don't return your books, they'll sic collections on you until you pay up. And if the bill is too big, you end up in small claims court, etc.

Something I want to make perfectly clear, by the way, is that libraries have to charge fines, and that they have to go after people who don't return materials. At the public library which used to be my employer, loss prevention was a major issue, particularly in the A-V department. I don't know the exact figures, but the annual music budget was somewhere in the 5-digit range, and the person responsible for purchasing was told to focus on "popular materials" (i.e. stuff that will drive up circulation numbers.) In our area, that meant the budget was going toward Urban, Country and Pop/Rock, with Urban the runaway #1. The problem was that theft of Urban CDs was absolutely through the roof - loss rate was on the order of 50%, and about 40% of the annual budget went toward replacements (which would then get stolen).

It sucked because they were instructed to replace high-circ stuff, and they spent so much on replacements that areas like classic rock, metal, classical, folk and jazz went entirely neglected because it wasn't in the budget.