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> I think the best system would be something like a $200 fully refundable deposit, plus late fees (deducted from your deposit account). Account must not drop be

> I think the best system would be something like a $200 fully refundable deposit, plus late fees (deducted from your deposit account). Account must not drop below $180 due to accrued late fees, or use of library is suspended. One of the most blinkered views I've seen on HN. Who exactly do you think benefits from libraries the most? It sure isn't people who have a lazy $200 sitting around.

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kazinator 5y ago
The library could actually pay a reasonable interest on that, say, a bit better than a bank account. So there would be no downside in parking the 200 there rather than a bank account.
- akerl_ 5y ago
  Except having to front the library $200 you don’t have.
  - kazinator 5y ago
    If you don't have $200, why do you need to take books out, and where is it that you're taking them? What's wrong with reading them right there?
    - akerl_ 5y ago
      To my house? To read them? You’re coming across as pretty siloed in these comments. There’s no reason why we should deny people below the poverty line the ability to read books outside the confines of the library walls. The entire functionality of the library is to be a public good, providing the products and services that allow everyone to enrich themselves. If it wasn’t, it would be a weird nationalized chain of book stores.
      - kazinator 5y ago
        Oh, so a minute ago you didn't have $200 to deposit, but now it has come to light you have a house?
        akerl_ 5y ago
        As myself and several other people have pointed out to you now across multiple comment trees, there are a vast number of people who have housing but do not have $200 of liquid capital to drop as a library deposit. But to short circuit this insanity a bit: why. Why is this recommendation desirable? Can you point to any negative impact that has occurred at any library that has just stopped charging late fees and switched to “bring back old book to get new books”, as has occurred here? If not… why are you so determined to invent a new solution without understanding the library’s usage demographics, when what they picked for themselves seems to be working.
        kazinator 5y ago
        One benefit would be that the library could clamp down on the damage. Library books are really treated like shit in my area of the world. Books and other materials. You can hardly borrow a disc that is not scratched to the point of being unusable. People would think twice before damaging borrowed items, if there is a deposit at stake. > there are a vast number of people who have housing but do not have $200 of liquid capital to drop as a library deposit. Be that as it may, they aren't prevented from using library under this proposal. Those who care to will somehow scrape the deposit together, and their money is entirely safe provided they don't damage borrowed materials or don't return them for half a year.
        philistine 5y ago
        The New York public library will still charge a replacement fee for broken items. Late fees don't have any relation to their policy on care of lent items. If items at your library are consistently broken, it's a problem with your library's implementation or choice of policies, not a problem with its users.

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kazinator 5y ago

The library could actually pay a reasonable interest on that, say, a bit better than a bank account. So there would be no downside in parking the 200 there rather than a bank account.

akerl_ 5y ago
Except having to front the library $200 you don’t have.
- kazinator 5y ago
  If you don't have $200, why do you need to take books out, and where is it that you're taking them? What's wrong with reading them right there?
  - akerl_ 5y ago
    To my house? To read them? You’re coming across as pretty siloed in these comments. There’s no reason why we should deny people below the poverty line the ability to read books outside the confines of the library walls. The entire functionality of the library is to be a public good, providing the products and services that allow everyone to enrich themselves. If it wasn’t, it would be a weird nationalized chain of book stores.
    - kazinator 5y ago
      Oh, so a minute ago you didn't have $200 to deposit, but now it has come to light you have a house?
      - akerl_ 5y ago
        As myself and several other people have pointed out to you now across multiple comment trees, there are a vast number of people who have housing but do not have $200 of liquid capital to drop as a library deposit. But to short circuit this insanity a bit: why. Why is this recommendation desirable? Can you point to any negative impact that has occurred at any library that has just stopped charging late fees and switched to “bring back old book to get new books”, as has occurred here? If not… why are you so determined to invent a new solution without understanding the library’s usage demographics, when what they picked for themselves seems to be working.
        kazinator 5y ago
        One benefit would be that the library could clamp down on the damage. Library books are really treated like shit in my area of the world. Books and other materials. You can hardly borrow a disc that is not scratched to the point of being unusable. People would think twice before damaging borrowed items, if there is a deposit at stake. > there are a vast number of people who have housing but do not have $200 of liquid capital to drop as a library deposit. Be that as it may, they aren't prevented from using library under this proposal. Those who care to will somehow scrape the deposit together, and their money is entirely safe provided they don't damage borrowed materials or don't return them for half a year.
        philistine 5y ago
        The New York public library will still charge a replacement fee for broken items. Late fees don't have any relation to their policy on care of lent items. If items at your library are consistently broken, it's a problem with your library's implementation or choice of policies, not a problem with its users.