Let this be a lesson to us all. If you're going to borrow library books from your local library, please be reminded that "borrow" is the operative word. You get a library card (generally for free) and thereby enter into an agreement wherein said library lends you books for a few weeks...and then you give them BACK. If you don't, you get hit with a meager fine. Last time I borrowed a book, the fine was about five cents a day. Seriously--it's been a LONG TIME since I've borrowed a book. In other words, there's really no incentive to not return the books that were lent to you for free by the very nice people who work at the library. Sometimes, however, when you take those things for granted, things get nasty.
Just ask Heidi Dalibor, who refused to return her copies of White Oleander and Angels and Demons. Nor did Ms. Dalibor remit the fines she owed to the library from which she borrowed the page-turners despite the notices she received in the mail. Furthermore,she declined to take note of the court citation issued to her when she didn't respond to the Grafton Library's calls and letters to her. The result? She was arrested. Cops showed up at her family's house, handcuffed her, and booked her for violating the "overdue library materials" ordinance! Seriously.
My words of advice? Return your library books, people. Or, at the very least, see what policies your town has regarding whether or not you return them.
Pic by jhoweaa.
1. I actually lost a library book about 6 years ago and the library actually didn't even send me a letter or anything...one day I just got a warrant in the mail that said if I didn't return or pay for the book in a certain amount of time I would be arrested. I had no idea that things could go that far. Needless to say I paid for the book (then promptly found the lost book, of course) but it was really kind of scary.
Posted at 10:35PM on Aug 26th 2008 by Vicki Porter