Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/03/04/boy-who-stole-life-magazine-wi.html
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Instant Karma.
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That’s actually a funny example of why many of us are starting to do away with fines. The amount of money it brings in is basically a rounding error in our budgets, so it isn’t like we are funding ourselves with fines. And it, surprisingly, does nothing to get people to return books anymore timely.
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In fact one of the more notable libraries to announce that they are going fee free is the Cleveland Public Library, serving the same community as the Cuyahoga County Library in the story. The county library itself has switched to a restricted card for fees above $10 and under $100 instead of the old system blocking all checkouts above $10.
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I used to live in a city where the overdue fee was capped at $1.00. I never had any worry of returning overdue books there. I wonder how many people just hang onto books out of fear of facing a hefty fee once they return them.
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Not too surprising, the vast majority of borrowers have every intention of returning them on time and the circumstances which arise preventing it will still prevent it whether a fine is incurred or not.
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Sadly, the library budget had been cut and all the old magazines went in the recycling.
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This post should really really have been titled “Life of Brian”.
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Who cares about the damn magazine?!? I want to know how he stayed a boy for 50 years!
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Not to mention how that Ohio library sported a photo of The Beatles on its back cover. I am so sick of this shit.
Another case closed. Thrill-seeking hippies…
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I was going to say something similar. “He’s a VERY NAUGHTY BOY!”
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I wish like hell we could stop with the fines and fees, but right now, our legislature is barely giving us enough money to pay for our e-books and magazine subscriptions. We buy new materials with the revenue from the fines and fees, and despite our best efforts, it doesn’t look like there’s a budget increase coming soon.
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My hometown library makes one’s card unusable if you have any fee whatsoever. You owe ten cents, you can’t use anything in the library that requires card access.
Makes me think of “Computers Don’t Argue” by Gordon Dickson (1965). I won’t include the Wikipedia link to avoid spoilers.
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My first thought as well. Glen Baxter is a favorite, I have a collection of these in a book somewhere.
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Covered here on Boing Boing some years ago, too.
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It’s nice to see CCPL switching away from the hard block on cards, but good lord, that’s a ridiculous cap for overdues. Before my library decided to go fine-free we capped at $10 or the price of the item, whichever was lower.
This patron needs to be more discerning in what kind of libraries he pilfers stuff from.
