Tracking Down Library Scofflaws
While some Mecklenburg residents have been pitching in to raise money for the county’s beleaguered library system, donating nearly $250,000 over the last few weeks, a group of literary scofflaws has been headed down a decidedly different financial path.
About 10 percent of folks who use the library owe roughly $176,000 in fines for overdue books and assorted other materials.
“That won’t get the libraries out of the budget hole they’re in now and possibly an even bigger one they’ll have next year,” said Mecklenburg Commissioner Harold Cogdell. “But it ain’t chump change, either. Every dollar counts with the budgets we’re facing.”
Fines for overdue books run 20-cents per day for most items, with the penalty kicked to $1 a day for DVDs. When a library user’s fines exceed $10, a hold is placed on their library card that prevents them from checking out new material, until the outstanding balance is reduced. For amounts owed beyond $50, the account is referred to a collection agency for payment.
Given the financial straits in which the library finds itself mired – losing $2 million in county money from its current-year budget and facing the prospect of up to a 50-percent cut next year, or some $17 million – some officials think it’s time to reexamine how the system handles overdue fines. One proposal being examined would lower the total amount of fines a library patron could accumulate, before privileges are suspended. Another possible option to raise revenue is hiking rental fees the library charges for best-seller books and new-release feature film DVDs. Those charges currently stand at $2 for a 14-day rental for books and $2 for a three-day rental for DVDs.
The downside to either of those approaches, critics argue, is that they would hamper access for those who could least afford it.
But access is already being curtailed across the board. In response to losing $2 million in current-year funding, the library board of trustees last week announced the system is reducing the number of days libraries are open during the week and cutting back hours of operation. The new schedule and hours go into effect April 5 and will last until at least June 30.
The Main Library and ImaginOn will be open Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.; both facilities will be closed on Friday.
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