Help make a difference through Food for Fines!!

The FEED NOVA SCOTIA website tells us that 19,722 people received food from a food bank in Nova Scotia in March 2015 – 31% were children.  One-quarter of those households receive the majority of their income from a disability or old-age pension.

During the month of February 2016, you can combine a visit to the library with a good deed for those who use food banks in your area.    

The Annapolis Valley Regional Library is once again offering a Food for Fines initiative from February 1-29.  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!   Do you owe $8.50?  Three food items will take care of that.  Please note that Food For Fines applies to fines only, not other fees like lost books or printing costs. 

 (Please check expiry dates on items since we don’t want to pass unsafe goods on to the food bank.)     

 Wondering what types of items food banks especially need?

 - canned fruit and veggies, soups and stews
- peanut butter
- pasta
- canned sandwich meats
- healthy school snacks (like fruit cups)
- laundry and dish detergents, soap

 So, if you have library fines to pay off, or even if you don’t, stop by the library with a food bank item or two during February.  Through Food for Fines you can help make a difference for hungry families in your area.

Food for Fines

 The FEED NOVA SCOTIA website tells us that 21,760 Nova Scotians were assisted by food banks during March 2013.  Meal programs and soup kitchens collectively served 154,330 meals and 18,724 snacks during the same month.    

 During the month of February 2014, you can combine a visit to the library with a good deed for the less fortunate who use food banks in your area.    

  The Annapolis Valley Regional Library is once again offering a Food for Fines initiative from February 1-28.  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!   Do you owe $8.50?  Three food items will take care of that.  Please note that Food For Fines applies to fines only, not other fees like lost books or printing costs. 

 Wondering what types of items food banks especially need?

-canned fruit and veggies

- pasta, including mac & cheese

- canned sandwich meats

- healthy school snacks

- paper products such as paper towels, facial tissues & toilet paper

- baby items such as disposable diapers or formula

(Please check expiry dates on items since we don’t want to pass unsafe goods on to the food bank.) 

So, if you have library fines to pay off, or even if you don’t, stop by the library with a food bank item or two during February.  Through Food for Fines you can help make a difference for hungry families in your area.

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