I work in a public library in NJ and I’ve noticed that for some reason GED prep books rarely get returned. When I check one out to a patron I almost never see it again. I don’t think it’s out of some nefarious plan to keep the books; it’s just that most of the patrons who take them out (in my experience) aren’t regular library users, so they just forget about it. They usually get a library card on the same day they borrow the book, and then I never see them again. ASVAB prep books are even worse, but I guess the people who borrow those enlist and never get around to returning the book. In our library, all we can really do is try to contact the patron by phone, e-mail, and snail mail. If a patron owes more than $75 in replacement fees, we send them to a collection agency, which pretty much just calls and sends letters too. It might be nice to send the law after them. Not so much for the patrons who keep the odd book, but for the ones who take out dozens of DVDs with no intention of returning them.
Side note: I like how the newscaster in the linked video pulls the GED prep book off the shelf in the fiction section.
Yeah, I agree: It’s seriously messed up to keep a library book for three years, and ignore numerous phone calls and emails about it. Dude, it takes the threat of jail before you’re willing to give back what doesn’t belong to you? That is, indeed, some petty bullshit.
Some years ago, there was a big stink in one of the Bay Area cities (Oakland, IIRC? Or maybe San Jose?) when an elderly lady was arrested, booked, and strip searched at the jail, all because she hadn’t renewed her dog’s annual dog license.
It had been the police department’s policy to strip search everyone they arrest. I think the outcome was, after this big stink, they revised that policy.
The guy lost a book, he didn’t mug an old lady. The consequences for losing a book shouldn’t be getting arrested. A civilized and compassionate society would understand that a person is worth more than a used book.
The person didn’t manage to graduate from high school, is it any wonder he may not be the most responsible person ever? At least he was trying to learn something, an activity I’d want no part of discouraging.
The agreement he signed when he was issued his library card surely spelled out explicitly the process and consequences of borrowing a book and not returning it in a timely manner. That’s why you’re supposed to read papers before you sign your name to them.
He didn’t lose the book, it was returned the day after the arrest. I don’t really see how this was discouraging him from learning something. The library provided access to a book, for free, so that he could use it to learn. The only condition was that he had to return it after a month (or whatever the loan period is) so that other people could have access to the same book. If he needed it for longer, he could probably have renewed it for another month as well.
I thoroughly read everything I physically sign and I’m certain that my library card agreement makes no mention of potential arrest. If the law allows for something, they are not obligated to spell it out for you as the public has access to those laws, ignorance of the law is no excuse, etc. Of course even lawyers, judges, and law enforcement have not actually read all of the laws, and this guy trying to prep for the GED would be unlikely to actually understand “legalese” anyway.
Who is served by expending funds to arrest someone over the loss of a used book? Libraries are already struggling. Discouraging people from checking books out because they don’t want to risk such harsh consequences is not helpful.
Well, until we ditch all of these faulty HUMANS, we will continue to have rule-breaking and irresponsible behavior, so I guess civilization and compassion are off the table until we figure out how to get them all locked up, making way for the Civilized and Compassionate Society of Obedient Robots.
I can’t wait!
For heaven’s sake, they arrested him, they didn’t kill him. He broke a law (evidently) and he got arrested. For that library system, in that locality, that appears to be a potential consequence.
If you don’t return a book to my library, you get billed for it. If you get billed for a certain amount and don’t pay, we send you to collections. This guy got an arrest on his record, we put a smudge on your credit report. Different libraries do it differently.
Yeah, I haven’t gone quite that long, but when I moved out of country for a few years, I had forgotten about five or six books. I returned them about six or seven years later. I forget the number, but the fees were capped at something like $20 per book (ETA: It’s actually only $10/book, but $20 per video or DVD. Lost books are charged replacement fee. One of the books I had had a replacement cost that was lower than the maximum fine so I just bought it instead of paying the fine.) although it may have depended if it was a hardback or paperback. Thankfully, I was not arrested and am now generally much better about returning library books.
Yes, it’s lovely that they didn’t kill him for his missing used book. What a fortunate fellow to be a member of this just and kind society. I’m sure he will be a much better citizen now, keeping to the correct side of the sidewalks and always toting the appropriate sizes of rocks to the town square on stoning day.
If he intended to steal the book, he wouldn’t have checked it out, giving his actual name and personal information.
Not every offense is or should be arrestible. You drove 67 in a 65 mph speed limit zone: You. Broke. The. Law.
Not so much for the patrons who keep the odd book, but for the ones who take out dozens of DVDs with no intention of returning them.