<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>March 15, 2009
EDITORIAL
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Pay up - now
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->The National Library Board (NLB) wrote off $3.5 million in outstanding fines back in 2006. But in 2007, after recommendations from the Auditor-General's Office - which conducts audits of government organisations - to keep its operating costs under control, the NLB spent $250,000 to recover more than $5 million owed by errant library users.
The money, for late return of books borrowed, had been owed from as far back as 1999. The NLB sent out mailers to 800,000 library patrons who had not paid their overdue fines. About 40 per cent of them responded. That brought in more than $1 million.
But library users can be a recalcitrant lot. In the past few years, unpaid fines and fees have grown, and as of January this year, the NLB was owed $6.5 million. It spent another $250,000 to send out mailers to some 700,000 tardy borrowers, and by last month it had recovered more than $500,000. However, this sum is but a fraction of the outstanding $6.5 million.
The majority of users who have not paid up are not lapsed members who do not bother with the small sums they owe, as is commonly assumed, but are regular users, said an NLB spokesman. This is because users can still borrow books if they owe less than $6.
But the NLB is getting tough. From April 1, members in arrears will no longer be allowed to borrow books until they settle the outstanding fines. This new move is to be applauded. Borrowers have been coddled for too long.
In terms of operations, the NLB has one of the finest systems in the world, and its main library and branches are top-notch too. It is a shame that patrons do not seem to cherish the library enough and instead abuse its goodwill - just to save a few cents. Those who owe money should do the decent thing and pay up now. Then the NLB may not have to spend more money to send out reminder mailers in July, as is planned.
Who will send them reminders to cough back $260B to Sporns?
EDITORIAL
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Pay up - now
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->The National Library Board (NLB) wrote off $3.5 million in outstanding fines back in 2006. But in 2007, after recommendations from the Auditor-General's Office - which conducts audits of government organisations - to keep its operating costs under control, the NLB spent $250,000 to recover more than $5 million owed by errant library users.
The money, for late return of books borrowed, had been owed from as far back as 1999. The NLB sent out mailers to 800,000 library patrons who had not paid their overdue fines. About 40 per cent of them responded. That brought in more than $1 million.
But library users can be a recalcitrant lot. In the past few years, unpaid fines and fees have grown, and as of January this year, the NLB was owed $6.5 million. It spent another $250,000 to send out mailers to some 700,000 tardy borrowers, and by last month it had recovered more than $500,000. However, this sum is but a fraction of the outstanding $6.5 million.
The majority of users who have not paid up are not lapsed members who do not bother with the small sums they owe, as is commonly assumed, but are regular users, said an NLB spokesman. This is because users can still borrow books if they owe less than $6.
But the NLB is getting tough. From April 1, members in arrears will no longer be allowed to borrow books until they settle the outstanding fines. This new move is to be applauded. Borrowers have been coddled for too long.
In terms of operations, the NLB has one of the finest systems in the world, and its main library and branches are top-notch too. It is a shame that patrons do not seem to cherish the library enough and instead abuse its goodwill - just to save a few cents. Those who owe money should do the decent thing and pay up now. Then the NLB may not have to spend more money to send out reminder mailers in July, as is planned.
Who will send them reminders to cough back $260B to Sporns?
