Joeten-Kiyu library executive director John O. Gonzales said they mailed out over 200 letters to delinquent borrowers in the past weeks, inviting them to pay their dues before the library forwards the accounts to the Attorney General’s Office after 14 days.
“A lot of the borrowers went to the library after getting the letters. They paid their overdue fines, returned lost books or made other arrangements with the library,” Gonzales said.
Borrowers who came to the library after receiving the notices for lost books were asked only to pay half of the original price of the lost book and a $5 processing fee.
Gonzales said the Library has thousands of dollars collectible from overdue fines that have accumulated over the past 20 years, with some individuals having $500 to $600 in payables.
“Our records showed that we have so much to collect from delinquent borrowers but no attention has been paid to these delinquent accounts for so many years,” Gonzales said.
During the Library Week last year, the library offered a one-week amnesty program where borrowers were given a chance to return overdue books, DVDs and CDs and other library materials without fines or penalties. Delinquent borrowers were not even required to return the book personally but they were given a chance to drop the books into the book drop from April 11 to 17, 2010.
But amnesty week is not held every year. This year, the library did not offer amnesty to the borrowers who have overdue materials.
Gonzales is urging those who have not yet visited the library to drop by during library hours and settle their obligations.
For more information, call the library front desk at 235-7316 or 235-READ, or e-mail [email protected].
