Food for Fines in February

Remember the great Seinfeld episode with Mr. Bookman, the Library Cop? 

If AVRL actually had a library cop, it would be worth holding a long overdue book just to get a visit from that guy!  (If you haven’t seen this episode, treat yourself to a good laugh, either here on  YouTube  or by borrowing the Season 3 DVD set from the library.)

While not everyone can come up with a Jerry Seinfeld skit on demand, or have truly creative excuses for not getting their library items back on time, we do hear our share of stories, both sad and funny, truth and fiction, too, we think.  

Here’s one of my personal favourite whining moments --

While seeking sympathy for the inability to pay a 50 cent fine on an overdue Metallica biography, the patron tells staff how much she enjoyed attending their recent concert! 

Yeah, thanks for sharing that tale of woe.

Anyway, if you’ve accumulated library fines, you can pay them off in February and feel good about doing it.   Just give us a non-perishable item for the local food bank, and we’ll forgive up to $3.00 in fines!   And the really good news is that there is no limit on the number of fines which can be forgiven!  Please note that this Food For Fines initiative applies to fines only, not other fees like lost books or printing costs.   

While clearing up the fines, if you’d like to regale staff with a tale of why the items were overdue in the first place, please feel free to entertain us.   We’re sending ideas off to Jerry for future comedy sketches.    

And – more good news -- it’s a leap year, so we’ll even give you the extra day in February to get it done.    

Happy Reading!  

Wendy Trimper

Head of Branch Services