Libraries are left in a lurch when borrowers don’t return the items they’ve taken and that leads to fines. But it’s a problem if those things don’t make it back to the building.
That’s why those fines aren’t so much a punishment, but a reminder that others want to use the materials too.
Deborah McCabe, Portage County Public Library said, “The library serves the entire community and serves all socioeconomic groups. We have a lot of resources and people come here to do a number of things like job hunting, continuing their education through books. We just want all our resources available to the whole community.”
The Portage County Public Library has grace periods for overdue items. If the book or DVD isn’t returned in due time, it may be declared lost and a replacement fee is added.