Library offers grace period with 50% discount on fines

Patrons owe more than $1 million in fines, the director says.

By Peter H. Milliken

YOUNGSTOWN — Library patrons who collectively owe more than $1 million in overdue fines and fees can completely settle their accounts for half of what they owe today through Nov. 15, the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County has announced.

Those who settle their accounts will have their borrowing privileges reinstated. The offer extends to accounts already turned over to a collection agency.

Some $1.12 million in debt to the library has been accumulated by 39,661 patrons over the past five years, said Janet Loew, library communications and public relations director. This debt includes fines for overdue library materials and fees for damaged or nonreturned materials, she said.

About 31 percent of library patrons owe a fine or a fee.

“During these difficult economic times, when the library’s budget has declined by about 30 percent this year alone, the board felt it would be prudent to institute a program, which would help recoup outstanding fines and fees,” explained Carlton A. Sears, library director.

“This program would benefit both the library and patrons who owe the library money,” Sears added.

After the grace period ends, daily overdue fines will rise from 50 cents to $1 for DVDs and videocassettes and from 10 cents to 25 cents for CDs, books on CD and books on cassette. Overdue book fines will remain at 10 cents a day.

Debts of more than $25 that remain unpaid after Nov. 16 will be referred to a collection agency with a $5.50 collection fee added to the bill, Loew said. The collection agency has an 84 percent success rate in collecting money or obtaining the return of missing library materials, she said.

“Not only will it help us to get some materials back, but it will also generate income during a time when our budget is down,” Loew said of the grace period. “We want the people who have blocked accounts to be able to come back and start using the library again.”

After patrons accumulate $5 in debt to the library, their borrowing privileges are suspended until their debt falls below $5.

Some of the larger debtors borrowed numerous materials over a short period of time and incurred overdue fines followed by replacement fees if the borrowed materials weren’t returned, Loew said. Borrowing periods vary, but the borrowing period for most books is three weeks.

The debtor with the largest bill owes $1,156. The runner-up owes $1,119. In third, fourth and fifth places, respectively, are borrowers who owe $1,097, $1,077 and $1,000. Under state law, the library system is barred from releasing the names, addresses or hometowns or any other identifying information concerning patrons, Loew said.