Re: Target-->Overdue fines

["Global SchoolNet Fdn (FrEdMail)" <lmnet-l@ACME.FRED.ORG>]

We have never charged fines in my 20+ years at PHS.  My belief is that as
the days went by and fines got bigger students would be less and less
inclined to bring books back.  If someone has an overdue book or magazine
he/she cannot check out anything else until that overdue is returned.  At
a certain point we declare the item lost and charge the student the cost
of the item.  If they bring it back the charge is wiped out.  Actually,
most of our students have plenty of money and paying a fine would not
hurt them, but you know how people act when faced with "authority".  I
want to be as little police state as possible.  Maybe I'm too soft.  I
also don't want to handle much money in the library.  We have been robbed
and since then I have taken pains to let students know we do not have
large amounts of money.  These are all considerations for our no fines
policy.  This does not prepare students for the real world since the
public library and the local colleges and universities all charge hefty
fines.  Jane

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                       Jane Merryman,  Librarian
      Petaluma High School                   Petaluma, CA  94952
      jmerrym@eis.calstate.edu                  phacelia@aol.com