Borrowers who fail to return Queens Library books can be reported to a collection agency and to a credit bureau, with a damaged credit rating as a result - a tactic that so shocked one Far Rockaway rabbi that he filed a lawsuit. The collection policy also has pulled libraries - places where generations of children have learned moral lessons about returning what they borrow - into the debate on just how much punishment is appropriate for failing to return a library book.
But the libraries don't report children or their parents to the collection company, and they don't report anything under $25. Several notices go out before the agency is involved.
Reader Comments ( Page 1 of 1)
1. Good grief! What's next?
*bullhorn crackles*
Alright! This is the library police. Come out with your hands up and your bookbags open.
You have the right to REMAIN SILENT. Anything you say can and will be met with a vicious stare. If you can't afford an attorney... well, we've got six copies of "Criminal Defense For Dummies."
But none are available at this location.
BOOK 'em Dan-O!
torquemada at 3:20AM on Dec 27th 2007
2. As a librarian, I dread this kind of media story. It only serves to further damage the image of librarians. We are seen as uptight, bun wearing cranks. It also discourages people from using the library. I'm against fines and esp. disagree with policies that punish borrowers to this extent. There are better ways to deal with the situation. What you borrow from the library and how many fines you rack up is (and should be) a private matter. As noted above, the situation has to get pretty serious before a patron is reported to the credit bureau. However, most people who read this story (and the media outlets that report on it) will only take away that the library ruins people's credit scores. Bad, bad press for libraries.
Jan Banks at 9:53AM on Dec 27th 2007