Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
KENAI, Alaska (AP) — Attention scofflaws: This would be a good time to turn in overdue books and other items to the Soldotna public library, which is collecting food donations for fines this week.
It's the third year the Joyce K. Carver Memorial Soldotna Public Library has marked National Library Week by offering the "Food for Fines" program, the Peninsula Clarion, a Kenai newspaper, (http://is.gd/LO6BqQ) reported.
People with overdue library items can decrease their fines by $1 for every box or can of nonperishable food item that's donated this week through Saturday. Donations go to the Kenai Peninsula Food Bank. The program helped contribute almost 100 pounds of food to the food bank last year, according to assistant librarian Katja Wolfe.
More people are seeking help these days, food bank executive director Linda Swarner said. "We're very grateful for food drives," she said.
Similar programs are not uncommon at U.S. libraries, said Soldotna city librarian Rachel Nash, who credited Wolfe for bringing the concept to the Soldotna library.
The library charges 15 cents a day for overdue books and other items. Fines are capped at $5 for each item.
Items are considered lost if they are not returned within 100 days of their due dates. People who have checked out those items are charged the replacement cost plus $5 in fees.
___
Information from: (Kenai, Alaska) Peninsula Clarion, http://www.peninsulaclarion.com
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
