On my library fines

In a recent episode of "Medium," a show I was surprised to discover is still on, Patricia Arquette's middle daughter discovers that the stack of overdue library books mouldering away in her closet has sent her account into collections. Since she now owes full retail price on them, adding up to over $90, she starts working at the library part-time to make up her fines by shelving books for the mean librarian.

I have worked at a library, although not for this reason. But the truth is I too am a library debtor. I currently owe $11.50 to the New York Public Library, dating back to around last March, which is odd because I thought that the rule was you could only rack up $5 in fines or carry a fine for 6 months before you would be prevented from checking out books. They must have changed this policy, possibly in deference to the current economic climate, but I can't blame the recession for my inability to pay these. Wouldn't be fair.

How did I rack those up in the first place? Returning books late, in one case more than a week late (I'll get to that in a second). Sometimes if I'm almost finished with a book I'll keep it out a few days till I finish. Especially if books are due in the middle of the week, sometimes it's hard to remember to get to a branch before it closes. That's no excuse either, but the last $1.50 I have an excuse for: I waited to drop off my books before I went home for the holidays until the Sunday before, only to find when I arrived at the Mid-Manhattan that it was closed due to the snowstorm we had just had. One of those books was due very soon and I couldn't renew it, so it sat in my apartment racking up fines till I got back.

And why haven't I paid them off? Also a stupid reason: I never seem to have the correct change when I go to the library. If I have my wallet with me, chances are I've only withdrawn cash enough for another errand and the library falls to the bottom of the list.

I feel a little ashamed writing this, which I guess is sort of the point. I'm not fiscally angelic but I would never let another bill go late, much less this late. I'll put the cash aside and do it this weekend. New goal: try to keep 2010 library debt free.