HUBBARD Library sets amnesty for overdue returns
Patrons can avoid having to pay library fines.
By JAYME RAMSON
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
HUBBARD -- Hubbard Public Library patrons can return overdue materials without paying a fine, no questions asked, during Saturday's Amnesty Day event.
The library is missing $24,000 in materials and fines.
The bulk of that figure is in the value of the materials, director Ruth Mizik said. With that money, the library would have bought new books, CDs and other materials, Mizik added. Instead, the money must be used to replace the missing materials.
"We were just looking at our overdues and thought that they looked pretty high," Mizik said of the rationale behind the event. "There is a lot of overdue material and we would really like to try and get it back."
According to Mizik, a lot of the material is too costly to replace, and some of the books are irreplaceable because they are out of print.
"Then with the budget cuts that libraries have been taking, we just can't afford to replace things that people don't return," she said.
Hubbard's library sponsored a similar event five or six years ago that was fairly successful. This time, the goal is to get about 50 percent of the materials back.
Quotable
"Ideally, we'd like to get all of it back, but I think if we even got half back that would be wonderful," she said.
People can bring their Hubbard Public Library materials to the library from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The library will again charge fines for overdue materials once Amnesty Day is over.
If you have returned overdue materials but not paid the fine, you can come to the library during the event and request amnesty for fines on your account.
"I just hope people take advantage of it and realize that while they may want to add something to their collection, other people want to use the material too," Mizik said. "This is the ideal time to bring it back because there are no questions asked. We're happy to have it, and the fines will be waived."
For Amnesty Day or renewal questions, call the library at (330) 534-3512.