Throw the book at library fine deadbeats

It’s too bad it needs to happen, but the Wichita Public Library’s crackdown on unpaid fees and fines seems to make sense — especially when the library has a smaller operating budget than most libraries in comparable cities and needs the money. The library plans to start reporting to a collection agency all delinquent accounts of more than $10 (rather than only those of more than $25, as it already does). More than 46,000 people owe the library more than $10, for a total of nearly $2 million. If collected, that could buy a lot more books.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee

2 Comments

  1. mrcontroversy
    Posted January 10, 2006 at 10:48 am | Permalink

    I was supposedly tagged for a $40 fine, then when they researched it, the book in question (one I never would have read in the first place,) had never left the library shelves…it was a computer error due to the fact that my library card number and the book catalogue number were the same.Have they gone through and made sure that isn’t happening to someone else?

  2. JWink
    Posted January 12, 2006 at 9:12 pm | Permalink

    The Wichita library would be ahead money-wise and public relations-wise by setting up a small telemarketing unit to call citizens and holders of library cards about their over-due books.

    This would keep the money here in Wichita and turn up problems as mentioned by Mr. Controversy above.

    Then follow-up with a collection agency preferably one located here in Wichita.