Do they really throw people in jail for long overdue library books?

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Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
I remember having to pay a fine that was equal to a dollar fifty US. :oops:
 
C

Crono

Lifer
Aug 8, 2001
23,720
1,503
136
They would have jailed me as a kid if so :D My parents must have paid a few hundred in fines for me. I read a crazy amount of books when I was younger. I think I may have one or two still checked out back in Brooklyn from 12 years back, I can't remember...


Loved this guy in Seinfeld (and even more in The Loop - funny show, though no one else seems to have seen it)

mqdefault.jpg
 
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OCGuy

Lifer
Jul 12, 2000
27,224
37
91
No, they don't. Although there are enough idiotic jurisdictions and judges that I'm sure someone could dig up a single example.

Debtors prison is gone in the US, except for a couple states trying to bring it back.
 
Baked

Baked

Lifer
Dec 28, 2004
36,052
17
81
Back in middle school, I have a habit of borrowing a ton of books and forgetting to return them. I basically kept a few dozen books at home for the entire school year. Ooops. The library just kept sending me letters telling me to return their stuff. No fine though.
 
IronWing

IronWing

No Lifer
Jul 20, 2001
73,109
34,413
136
Yes, they do. I had a friend in college who drove into a deer. When the county sheriff ran her license there was a warrant issued for her arrest. She was arrested on the spot and taken into custody. She was held for a couple hours while the deputy tried to figure out the reason for the warrant as the friend had no clue what it was about. When the deputy found out that the warrant had been issued for unpaid library fines, the deputy let her go, telling her "We don't have time for this crap." and that she might want to pay her library fines. The warrant was issued by Dane County, WI in case you are wondering.
 
U

unokitty

Diamond Member
Jan 5, 2012
3,346
1
0
NM mom jailed for overdue 'Twilight' library book

"Lori Teel was arrested and handcuffed at her Portales home in front of her five small children earlier this month because of $35.98 worth of library materials allegedly not returned since 2010."

Jailed overnight for overdue library books...


Years ago, I had an office in a Community College Library in Florida. I found the senior librarians there much more intimidating than the Drill Sergeants I had during my US Army Basic Training ...

Librarians -- bad people to fuss with...

Uno
 
waggy

waggy

No Lifer
Dec 14, 2000
68,143
10
81
OCGuy said:
No, they don't. Although there are enough idiotic jurisdictions and judges that I'm sure someone could dig up a single example.

Debtors prison is gone in the US, except for a couple states trying to bring it back.
Click to expand...

wrong.

they do. my Ex-wife was arrested for a overdue library book. teh amount was like $28 or something stupid.
 
pontifex

pontifex

Lifer
Dec 5, 2000
43,804
46
91
Crono said:
They would have jailed me as a kid if so :D My parents must have paid a few hundred in fines for me. I read a crazy amount of books when I was younger. I think I may have one or two still checked out back in Brooklyn from 12 years back, I can't remember...


Loved this guy in Seinfeld (and even more in The Loop - funny show, though no one else seems to have seen it)

mqdefault.jpg
Click to expand...

I watched The Loop. Funny show!
 
Perknose

Perknose

Forum Director & Omnipotent Overlord
Forum Director
Oct 9, 1999
46,886
10,698
147
They don't put you in jail, but they do throw the book at them.
 
Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

No Lifer
May 24, 2003
70,731
13,851
126
www.anyf.ca
Haha that commercial is great. "Get them"

I still owe a book to my pre K school. I lost it. I went with fear and agony to the library to state that I had lost it and I was willing to pay for it. In my mind, I figured it would be months worth of allowance and go in all my savings (which were not much, being a little kid) so in fear I finally get the courage to go to the librarian and tell her. She tells me "just bring it back". and looked the other way and ignored that I was trying to say I lost it.

To this day, that book has never been returned. She is probably a frail old lady right now who has zero recollection of this incident. When she dies, her spirit will haunt me forever and ever.
 
Rubycon

Rubycon

Madame President
Aug 10, 2005
17,768
485
126
unokitty said:
NM mom jailed for overdue 'Twilight' library book

"Lori Teel was arrested and handcuffed at her Portales home in front of her five small children earlier this month because of $35.98 worth of library materials allegedly not returned since 2010."

Jailed overnight for overdue library books...


Years ago, I had an office in a Community College Library in Florida. I found the senior librarians there much more intimidating than the Drill Sergeants I had during my US Army Basic Training ...

Librarians -- bad people to fuss with...

Uno
Click to expand...

That seems silly considering someone can walk away with $30k in CC debt and the worst that happens is they have a judgement that may result in garnishment of wages. :eek:
 
SarcasticDwarf

SarcasticDwarf

Diamond Member
Jun 8, 2001
9,574
2
76
FWIW, it has a lot to do with library budgets. Almost every public library has seen usage go up by 25+% a year the last few years. At the same time budgets are being slashed left and right. The amount of outstanding fines can have a big impact during these times. For example, the Denver Public Library system had $4.8 million in outstanding fines last year.
 
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Amhisaw12

Junior Member
Apr 14, 2014
1
0
0
I know this thread is old, but I'm am currently being garnished for lost library books....without a previous notice at all. I even offered to return the ones I have to lessen the amount, but they won't allow me to do that. I can't stand that they can allow the library to make these fines look like "taxes" so they garnish my paycheck. I can barely make my bills as it is!
 
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