Collecting Overdue Library Books While Simultaneously Benefiting the Community: The Food for Fines Program

Authors

Catherine R. Harris, George Washington UniversityFollow
Kathe Obrig, George Washington UniversityFollow
Kathleen Lyons, George Washington University

Document Type

Poster

Keywords

Library Fines; Community Service; Library Patrons; Access Services; Circulation Staff; Library Outreach

Publication Date

10-2011

Abstract

This poster presentation is a detailed description of the background, process, promotion, results, and conclusions of an academic library community service project. The "Food for Fines" program, implemented at Himmelfarb Health Sciences Library was designed to encourage the collection of fines for overdue items. One non-perishable food item was accepted for every $1.00 in overdue fines, to a maximum of $20.00. These food items were donated to a local food bank in the Washington, DC, area.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License.

Comments

Delivered at: Medical Library Association Mid-Atlantic Chapter, October 2011.