Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Users Owe Average of 55 Cents in Fines

Link to March 26 WCNC report, "Overdue library fines amount to $176,000".

Excerpt: About 10% of the 320,000 library users owe money.

Most people only owe about five dollars, but when you add it all up, overdue fines amount to $176,000.

“That will make a difference... it will make a difference,” says Dick Pahle, who is in charge of fundraising and development for the library system.
Most people NewsChannel 36 talked to were surprised to hear how much money library users owed.

“I’m shocked,” says Judy Miller.

In fact, the amount of money owed, is almost as much as the community has raised since hearing half the branches might be forced to close.

That amount is now at a quarter-of-a-million dollars.

That fundraising effort will continue this weekend with a major push planned at area churches.

But the library is having trouble collecting money already owed.

Part of the reason the money goes uncollected is patrons can still check out books as long as fines don’t reach $10.

David Singleton with the library system says, “$10 is average nationwide. Some have higher limits than that, were about access as much as possible.”

They're considering changing the $10 limit, but want to make sure everyone who needs the library is able to use it.

Related articles:
Library announces new hours for branches.  (3/26/2010)
Library Board applies a Band-Aid to its bleeding system.  (3/25/2010)
Follow-up on Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board vote.  (3/25/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board votes to keep all branches open.  (3/24/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library Board presented with 2 budget-cutting alternatives.  (3/24/2010)
More and bigger cuts looming on horizon. (3/23/2010)
Charlotte Mecklenburg Library System Rethinks Closings. (3/22/2010)
A New Day is Dawning in Charlotte/Mecklenburg County. (3/21/2010)

Charlotte Mecklenburg libraries haven't seen such large-scale reductions since the Great Depression. (3/17/2010)