Date: April 3, 2008
To: RCPL Board of Trustees
From: Board Policy Committee
Re: Fine forgiveness recommendation
Recommendation: Offer a fine forgiveness event during the first week of September 2008, in conjunction with Library Card Sign-up Month. Estimated financial impact would be $3,200 of fines forgiven.
Fines forgiveness in public libraries is an oft requested service. The two primary reasons for offering a fines forgiveness event are recovery of overdue materials, and enabling patrons with fines to resume library use.
While there is documentation that a regularly scheduled fine forgiveness event can focus community attention, there is also the possibility of creating a scenario where community users stop using the library until there is a fine forgiveness event. Connecting fine forgiveness to existing library events on an irregular basis has shown to be effective in several communities.
During fines forgiveness week, the library would remove existing fines for materials previously returned as well as fines due on overdue materials returned during that week, in exchange for a donation of food to the Food Bank.
Estimated financial impact for the week-long event:
· $1,200 in fines not collected for one week
· $2,500 estimated for fines removed during event
·
$500 recovered in lost or long overdue materials
·
Total financial
impact: -$3,200
The library’s 2003 fine forgiveness produced these results:
· 238 patrons reinstated
· $2,600 in fines forgiven
· 26 lost or long overdue items recovered
Based on research of the following HR sites, providing an opportunity to work off fines through volunteerism is not recommended; payment in cash or in-kind implies an employee status, whereas volunteers do not receive any form of payment or in-kind compensation.
- The
Nonprofit
Risk Management Center cautions against providing volunteers with any
type of compensation, whether monetary or in kind
- The
Department
of Labor defines volunteers as those who donate their time without contemplation
of pay
- Research
also indicates that other libraries are not providing patrons the option to
negate fines by volunteering
A further recommendation is to offer another fines forgiveness event in either 2009 or 2010, to retain community interest about fine forgiveness, while avoiding expectations about fines forgiveness being an annual event. This event should again be tied to a scheduled program or library activity.
EQUAL
OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER