The library recently broke my heart. To explain it, I have to start from the beginning.
A Library Saved My Life
I grew up with a single mom who made just a few cents over minimum wage in a semi-rural wasteland. We lived with continuous utility cut-off notices, both solicited and unsolicited charity handouts, and ate primarily from the WIC menu.
But, I did have something I loved that didn’t feel restricted, I had books. I would go to the library almost daily and check out more books than I could carry home on my bike. I read a lot. I read so much that it actually became hard to find books at the small library that I had not read.
The librarians were never very friendly to me because they resented the fact that I was always there alone, but I saw them as heroes. How lucky can you be to always have all the books you want to read and get paid for it?
I firmly believe the library is the reason I went to college (despite my high school counselors telling me to just go to trade school because college was not for someone like me) and the reason I became who I am.
Now, the Brooklyn Public Library offers so many amazing classes, events, and free programming for the community. It’s the best. I love everything about it, except what I am about to tell you.
Now I Take My Daughter to the Library
She loves books too. She hoards them. It’s hard to keep track. I run several businesses and spend a lot of committed time with her, so I have a lot in my head.
That’s why I am never surprised when we get library fines. I consider this my contribution. I didn’t mind paying the fines…
then one day that all changed.
A Dark Turn for the Library
I received a collection notice for $50.28. I never received a bill or alert for because I didn’t have an email associated with my daughter’s account (she is too young to have an email and I didn’t think they needed mine). But, we went to the library all the time and I always paid the fines when they reach $15. Where did this $50.28 come from? It turns out it was the replacement fee for a book I forgot to renew. They charge a replacement fee after only about 3-4 weeks. If you are a working mom, you know that is a nanosecond. A few days later I received the bill…AFTER the collections notice.
I kept thinking about this and getting more and more upset. Growing up we got collections notices sometimes and it always made my mother cry. It was horrible. We lived in fear that we would be homeless or without a phone because of another mark on her credit score. I started thinking about all the low-income moms who use the library in Brooklyn. Do they receive collection notices when they come home from a second job, are late once again at the daycare, and just had to choose between toilet paper and rice for dinner (yes, I had this problem once and chose rice). To think that my beloved library would do this just broke my heart.
I tried to talk to several representatives at the library about the issue, but they all assumed I was disputing the fee and continued talking about my situation. I no longer have trouble paying small fees. I wasn’t concerned about me. I was worried about all those other women and men less equipped to handle this issue. Only one person I spoke to seemed to understand why I would be worried about anyone else besides simply myself.
I decided to look into the collections company and the library policy. I did not find a public version of the library policy, but I did find a lot on the collections agency.
Unique Management Services, Inc.
Unique’s business is libraries. They collect fines for 1,921 libraries. The company claims they do this gently and never harass people, but as they don’t actually take on the debt, just collect for the library, I cannot see what other purpose they have than to scare people.
They even have programs designed to collect less than $25. Years ago a company spokesman told a lifestyle reporter that the collections company only turns about 10% of debtors over to the credit agencies, but I can’t believe that to be true. If they enforce any timeline, there must be more people failing to pay than that. I also spoke to someone who has reviewed many credit reports and has seen these items listed. This is all anecdotal, but points to a potentially big problem.
The only bright side is that when the amounts are that low they don’t have a huge impact on your score itself, but they are still a negative mark.
I Feel the Library’s Pain
During this research I realized that the library really does feel they have no choice. People would just take the books and never return them, bankrupting the library in no time. I obviously do not want that. But I do think they need allow more time and have a higher threshold for using an agency–especially when we are talking about children’s books.
I also think people should be warned before checking out books, or at least when they get their card, otherwise this can be a real nasty surprise. People, especially the busy low-income parents that use the library, need to understand the risk they are taking when they use the service so they are not blindsided. With privilege comes responsibility, but it has to be recognized on both sides.
Also, I found that, as I always suspected when I paid my fines dutifully, that fines make a bigger percentage of the Brooklyn Public Library’s annual unrestricted income than federal funds, individual cash contributions, and grants combined. But, of course, those are nothing but a drop compared to to the funds they receive from NYC.
I am not going to stop going to the library, but I am hoping we (the public) can get them to change their policies just a little bit. We should ask them to wait longer before scaring busy moms who may not be able to deal with yet another hardship. Maybe we can even donate while asking…
Here’s what to write/call to the library:
- Make sure there is a warning sent to parents before the bill goes to a collections agency (people don’t expect that from a public service)
- Consider the emotional and psychological impact of receiving a collections notice when making the policy. It isn’t just another bill even if it works like one objectively.
- Add a warning when signing up for a library card
- Make a contribution. Donate to show you support the library, but ask that they support the users by fixing these flawed policies.
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A Child Grows (BK Grows, Inc.) supports the Brooklyn Public Library and the Library has participated for many years in the Brooklyn Baby and Family Expo.