Public Library Offers Year-End Fine Amnesty

Library borrowers can avoid fines for any overdue materials by returning them to one of the Glendale Public Library’s six branches from Dec. 27 to Dec. 30, officials said.

“It’s your last chance to bring in the new year with a clean slate,” said Cindy Cleary, the library’s public services administrator. “A lot of our books are not returned to our shelves, so whatever incentive we can give to people, we’ll go for.”

Library officials said embarrassed patrons don’t even need to set foot inside the library to return late materials.

“If you’re shy about coming face to face with us, you can put [the books] in the book drop and the fines will be forgiven,” Cleary said.

The library’s offer only applies to borrowed materials; fees for lost items and video rentals will not be waived.

This is the third time the Glendale Library has waived overdue fines, Cleary said. It did so once before for National Library Week and once more after Glendale’s Central Library was renovated. Cleary said both events were successful.

In at least a couple of cases, she added, borrowers brought in books that were at least 10 years overdue.

“They weren’t even on our computer system, they were so old,” she said.

Cleary said she did not know of any other Southland libraries making similar offers.