All Library branches will be closed on Sunday, March 31.

The Midtown Carnegie Branch Library elevator from the basement to the 2nd floor is not operational. Please ask a staff member if you need assistance.

The Library

thelibrary.org Springfield-Greene County Library District Springfield, Missouri

Pay Off Overdue Fines and Give to Community with Food For Fines

January 24, 2010 — When you work for the library, you get a lot of questions about fines – even when you’re not actually at the library: “Do you know how much I owe in overdue fines?” “Can you ‘fix’ my fines?” (No, and no.)

So for all those people weary of a having a $5 or $10 fine hanging over their heads, today is the beginning of a unique “fine amnesty” week at the Springfield-Greene County Library District.

During Food For Fines today through Jan. 30, children, teens and adults can shave down or pay off their overdue fine balance in exchange for a donation of non-perishable food to Ozarks Food Harvest – The Food Bank.

Patrons get a 50-cent credit on their fine balance for each item of non-perishable, canned or boxed food brought to the checkout desk of any branch library or bookmobile. Each branch will have a clearly marked bin or box for collections. (Only undamaged, unexpired items please; no soda and no liquids in glass or plastic containers.) The library district will donate all food to Ozarks Food Harvest.

There’s no dollar limit, and only fines for overdue books, movies, etc., are eligible – not fees for lost or damaged materials.

Don’t have fines? Consider paying it forward: You can donate food items for a friend or family member’s overdue balance.

Got a $5 fine? Bring 10 of anything – boxes of mac ‘n cheese, jars of peanut butter, cans of pinto beans. The average patron fine is $10, so that’s 20 items.

About 3,117 teens owe more than $10 in fines and 1,915 children owe more than $10 in fines. Curious? More than 80,000 people owe some amount in either overdue fines or fees from lost or damaged materials.

Since a $10 fine balance prevents a patron – including children – from checking out additional library materials, Food For Fines is an easy way to restore checkout privileges while helping hungry people in the Ozarks.

Lindsey Neddenriep with Ozarks Food Harvest says its member agencies across 29 counties are seeing up to 50 percent increases in requests for emergency food assistance. As the only food bank in southwest Missouri, it reaches more than 55,000 people.

Food For Fines is not quite fine amnesty. But it’s a way to pay off that niggling balance that could actually make you feel far richer when you leave.

Kathleen O’Dell is community relations director for the Springfield-Greene County Library District. She can be reached at kathleeno@thelibrary.org.


PRESS CONTACTS

Vickie Hicks
Community Relations Director
vickieh@thelibrary.org
(417) 616-0564
Morgan Shannon
Copywriter
morgans@thelibrary.org
(417) 616-0566

Find this article at


Media Contacts

Community Relations

Library Administration


Stay Informed

Receive the latest updates to this site via email or RSS feed. Signup is quick and easy, just click the applicable link below.

Press Release Email list Library In the News Email list RSS feed