By Saara Itkonen
A recent story out of Louisville Public Library in the US was recently picked up by People magazine, about long overdue library books being returned. In fact, the library books returned were 100 years overdue. Libraries and the media both love these stories. They’re meant to be feel good stories for everyone and they can be interesting glimpses into public libraries and who and how people used them long ago.
But they bug me a little bit and here’s why.
The urban library I used to work at held an amnesty week to encourage everyone to return their overdue and long overdue books without any fines charged and no questions asked. They did this to, hopefully, gain items back to their collection but mainly to specifically attract a story like this to serve as good marketing for the public library system. They know that human interest stories of people returning books after a hundred years get people to read about them and then think of the public library and then maybe they’ll come and visit the public library!
But for people who struggle with poverty trauma (me!) and who are ashamed of their overdue fines accrued from late library books (many, many patrons and community members I’ve met over the years) not all of the story is feel good.
The Louisville story says the amount of the original fines accrued by the two books that were returned would now come to $7,800 if adjusted for inflation (but, of course, this wasn’t charged because the library is now fine free). Even doing this calculation and putting it into print in the media would strike terror into any person who has overdue books and is afraid to return to the library because they can’t afford the fines. It’s a factually incorrect exercise that ignores the ways that public libraries operate and actually spreads harmful myths about public libraries, namely:
Myth 1) Overdue fines accumulate indefinitely to huge amounts that are hard to pay and library workers are just waiting for you to return the items so they can shame you to your face.
In reality, overdue fines usually accumulate to the replacement cost of the book/item and then stay at that price forever. So if it was $2 in 1920, it would still be $2 today. Unless you’re a large library system that sends your overdue amounts to a debt collections service which, many libraries have done in the past and perhaps some continue to do today (please don’t, it is 2024 and this does so much more harm than good for libraries), the amount hits a ceiling and doesn’t budge. So the inflation calculation might make some people chuckle but anyone with limited finances or poverty trauma is going to see that and say, “Yikes! I will certainly stay away from libraries to avoid that!” I can’t tell you how many people I have met that hear these stories or have an overdue book and then never visit a library again. It’s a tragedy that I am always trying to fight against. Also, our library is fine free. After several months, we add the cost of the book to your library account but once the item is returned, the cost disappears.
Myth 2) Libraries want their money and books and the people taking them out matter less than these things.
This brings to mind memories of watching a certain episode of Seinfeld in the 90’s about an overzealous library book detective hounding Jerry Seinfeld to return a book. I mean, the idea that public libraries have enough funding to hire someone to do this is laughable in 2024 but it also perpetuates the idea that libraries care more about books and money than people and we just don’t. People always come first and if your library cares more about punishing people than caring for them then they are NOT a good library.
Myth 3) Books are precious and need to be kept forever, so your long overdue books, once returned, will be restored to their rightful place on the shelf.
Listen, reading and books literally saved my life so I appreciate them immensely. I literally work in a library! But, most books are never useful forever. Any good informational book will eventually become outdated and any fiction book will only be useful as long as the story connects with the people reading it. Libraries weed out books for a variety of reasons but mainly because the information is outdated and new information has superseded it but, also and especially in public libraries, because no one is taking the book out anymore. We have limited shelving and new books are coming in all the time. We have to make room and books that aren’t being read have outlived their purpose. We aren’t an academic library or archive, both of which will hold onto information for research and historical purposes, so your 100 year old books that are returned will likely go to the dump/recycle.
100 year old books being returned to the public library makes for a sweet story but please always remember that the Creston Valley Public Library cares more about YOU than our books or money. We want to see you in the library and we don’t charge late fees.
Saara Itkonen is Library Director at the Creston Valley Public Library