Donate Food and Overdue Book Fines Are Forgiven

The is giving people the opportunity to have their overdue book fines waived by helping to feed hungry families.

The Food for Fines program is being offered in observation of National Library Week, April 10-16. Adults can have fines waived by providing non-perishable food items, while children 18 and under just need to come to the library’s circulation desk this week for fines to be forgiven.

So far people have been taking advantage of the program to pay down their fines, Assistant Director of Community Services Nancy Hunt-Coffey said.

“We already have one barrel full of food—so that’s about 500 or 600 cans—and it’s only Tuesday,” she said.

The deal is sweeter for youngsters whose overdue fines have been accumulating.

“A lot of times children forget to bring in their books and the fines just build up. They don’t have the money and they don’t want to tell their parents, so they just stop using the library,” Hunt-Coffey said. “That’s the last thing we want to happen, so each year we offer this program for the kids during National Library Week.”

The library has partnered with the Westside Food Bank for the Food for Fines program, so foods that are donated will reach children in need, low-income families, unemployed and underemployed individuals, the elderly, homeless people and others in the community.

“Part of the social services aspect of our department is to provide services for those in need,” Hunt-Coffey said. “We often work with the Westside Food Bank, so it was an easy partnership.”

The Beverly Hills Public Library is located at 444  N. Rexford Drive. For information about the Food for Fines program, call the library at 310-288-2200.

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