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Those Nickels And Dimes Add Up
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San Jose says it is owed $6.8 million in unpaid fines, and that's because they have what seems to be the highest late fees and lost book fees in the country. So, really, the $6.8 million is a number they've pulled out of their asses, because it has no relation to actual losses, it's a number that represents what they'd like to make from the people who lose books. But most of the people they say owe that money are the very poor people that libraries are supposed to support, and when these people get behind, their accounts get blocked and, when the fees quickly hit $50, they get sent to collection. Should libraries fund themselves with late fees? What do they need $6.8 million in late fees for? And in a side issue, in the age of the Internet, do cities still have an obligation to fund book-filled libraries or should they be moving resources online? (New York Times)
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