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Library fines are not known to increase rates of item return and in reality are a commonly-cited reason why library users never return at all. A few other poin
by joe5150 5y ago
Library fines are not known to increase rates of item return and in reality are a commonly-cited reason why library users never return at all.
A few other points: 1) Libraries replace items all the time for all kinds of reasons, especially if the title is in demand, so a book walking away with a patron who wants to keep it isn't really a business-stopping problem. 2) Patrons can always ask library staff to request an items they need from another library; the library is likely to accommodate, especially if the item is long overdue and they don't have immediate plans to replace it. 3) If the item is somehow absolutely irreplaceable, it probably isn't circulating anyway.
- smelendez 5y agoYeah, I've anecdotally heard from a lot of people that they've stopped using the library because they've racked up fines. It's often not necessarily that they can't afford the fines or are unwilling to pay, but they're too embarrassed or intimidated or aren't sure what the right procedure is, so they just stop going to the library.
- deleted 5y ago[deleted]
- taurusnoises 5y agoThis is really interesting. I've definitely been incentivized to return late books sooner than I might have due to fines accruing (and the email reminders that tell me so). But, now that you mention it, I've also probably held onto books longer and not returned sooner bc of the guilt or not knowing what other restrictions on my usage might apply.
- robertcope 5y agoHey, that's me. I returned a few books a day late due to flooding and racked up an $0.80 charge. I can't pay it online because the minimum allowed online is a dollar. I'd pay the dollar if it allowed me, but it doesn't. I don't care enough to figure out how else to pay the fine, so I just don't go to the library anymore.
- benibela 5y agoI had to pay a 60€ fee for 6 books as student and never recovered from it. At first I wrote an open-source tool to download the list of borrowed books from the website and renew them automatically. Then I thought it is pointless and decided to never go again to any library. Unfortunately, now people are using my tool, and every time the library changes the website, I get mails that I need to make an update. So I am forced to go to the library just to see what changes they made to the website These libraries issues are stressing me so much I could only sleep 5 hours tonight