Police Overdue Library Books 4 Year Old, Police called overdue books---Police sent to confiscate 4-year-old's overdue library books,Retrieving a few overdue library books from a 4-year-old girl recently required the expertise of Pennsylvania's finest. Sheriff's deputies were sent to the young girl's home after phone calls and a postcard from the library failed to secure the tomes' safe return Apparently returning your library books late will get you more than just a notice in the mail. It's a crime in some communities.
Massachusetts family of a 5-year-old girl who had books out too long. When library officials lost patience with their customers, they sent police after the missing goods. In the digital age, municipal libraries are struggling to stay relevant.
Instead of offering free e-books or computer design classes to get people in the doors, the library in Charlton, Massachusetts, opted for a different approach to customer service and sent police to the home of a 5-year-old girl because she hadn't returned her books.
This week, police visited Shannon Benoit and daughter Hailey, who had two library books overdue by a few months. Police informed the family the books needed to be returned immediately or be purchased.
"I thought it was way overboard," mom Shannon told the local CBS Boston affiliate. "I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying."
After the police left, little Hailey broke down in tears and asked her mom if she was going to be arrested.Charlton Library officials defended their position in a statement on their website. "Library materials are purchased using taxpayer dollars," the statement read. "We feel as library staff that it is our duty to safeguard those tax dollars."
Police were asked to help recover books and fines from people with materials more than six months late and in excess of $100 in fines. Police visited the homes of 13 families with a combined total of $2,634 in library materials or fines.
Police told media they felt uncomfortable with the mission, but a knock on the door is better than a court summons arriving in the mail.
The library has traditionally been a free source of entertainment, especially in the summers when kids are out of school. However, this incident begs the question: Will punishment discourage parents and children from using the library?Little Hailey wasn't too far off course when she asked if she was going to get arrested. It has indeed happened in the past. In 2010, police in Baytown, Texas, locked up 25-year-old Jessekah Few for unreturned library materials.
Some libraries, realizing their proverbial hands are tied when it comes to collecting fines or late materials, have offered offenders unique methods of redemption. Some libraries in Canada have wiped out fines all together, believing they drive people away instead of ensuring prompt returns. In addition, the Nashville Public Library has instituted a Food for Fines program, where people can bring in goods to pay their penalties.
A Charlton mom says her local library crossed the line when they sent police to collect her daughter’s overdue library books.
Her mom says the 5-year-old girl was so afraid that she burst into tears.
Charlton Police Sergeant Dan Dowd stopped by the home of Shannon Benoit to let her know that her daughter had two books several months overdue which needed to be returned or paid for.
“I thought it was way overboard,” says Benoit. “I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying.”
Hailey asked her mom if the police were going to arrest her. Hailey says, “I was scared."
Make a note of this for future reference: cops can be sent to collect overdue library books. Police Sergeant Dan Dowd was sent to a house to retrieve a 5 year old girl’s two overdue library books. The Massachusetts mom said police went too far, “She’s 5, she didn’t understand. I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying.”Naturally, Hailey thought that the cop had come to arrest her. ‘Is that policeman going to arrest me?‘” Benoit quoted her daughter. “I was scared,” added Hailey.
So here's the thing: Initially I read this story, about cops visiting the home of a 5-year-old because she had overdue library books, and I thought, "That's terrible! Who watches the watchmen?!"
CNN reported that cops visited a home in Massachusetts and little Hailey Benoit burst into tears because she hadn't returned How To Tie My Shoes and Eloise's Birthday since April. She thought the cops were there to arrest her! And now the mom, Shannon Benoit, is very angry!
But CNN buried the lead. A spokeswoman from the Charlton Public Library said the Benoit family owes more than $100 in late fees for overdue audio books checked out by Hailey's father. The library sent letters and made calls, but never heard back from the family.
So on one hand, it's a little weird that the cops are showing up to strong-arm people for the libraries. What is this, some kind of library mafia?
But it also sounds like the family is trying to deflect blame for their negligence by making a big deal about how much this traumatized their daughter.
Massachusetts family of a 5-year-old girl who had books out too long. When library officials lost patience with their customers, they sent police after the missing goods. In the digital age, municipal libraries are struggling to stay relevant.
Instead of offering free e-books or computer design classes to get people in the doors, the library in Charlton, Massachusetts, opted for a different approach to customer service and sent police to the home of a 5-year-old girl because she hadn't returned her books.
This week, police visited Shannon Benoit and daughter Hailey, who had two library books overdue by a few months. Police informed the family the books needed to be returned immediately or be purchased.
"I thought it was way overboard," mom Shannon told the local CBS Boston affiliate. "I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying."
After the police left, little Hailey broke down in tears and asked her mom if she was going to be arrested.Charlton Library officials defended their position in a statement on their website. "Library materials are purchased using taxpayer dollars," the statement read. "We feel as library staff that it is our duty to safeguard those tax dollars."
Police were asked to help recover books and fines from people with materials more than six months late and in excess of $100 in fines. Police visited the homes of 13 families with a combined total of $2,634 in library materials or fines.
Police told media they felt uncomfortable with the mission, but a knock on the door is better than a court summons arriving in the mail.
The library has traditionally been a free source of entertainment, especially in the summers when kids are out of school. However, this incident begs the question: Will punishment discourage parents and children from using the library?Little Hailey wasn't too far off course when she asked if she was going to get arrested. It has indeed happened in the past. In 2010, police in Baytown, Texas, locked up 25-year-old Jessekah Few for unreturned library materials.
Some libraries, realizing their proverbial hands are tied when it comes to collecting fines or late materials, have offered offenders unique methods of redemption. Some libraries in Canada have wiped out fines all together, believing they drive people away instead of ensuring prompt returns. In addition, the Nashville Public Library has instituted a Food for Fines program, where people can bring in goods to pay their penalties.
A Charlton mom says her local library crossed the line when they sent police to collect her daughter’s overdue library books.
Her mom says the 5-year-old girl was so afraid that she burst into tears.
Charlton Police Sergeant Dan Dowd stopped by the home of Shannon Benoit to let her know that her daughter had two books several months overdue which needed to be returned or paid for.
“I thought it was way overboard,” says Benoit. “I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying.”
Hailey asked her mom if the police were going to arrest her. Hailey says, “I was scared."
Make a note of this for future reference: cops can be sent to collect overdue library books. Police Sergeant Dan Dowd was sent to a house to retrieve a 5 year old girl’s two overdue library books. The Massachusetts mom said police went too far, “She’s 5, she didn’t understand. I closed my door, I looked at my daughter and she started crying.”Naturally, Hailey thought that the cop had come to arrest her. ‘Is that policeman going to arrest me?‘” Benoit quoted her daughter. “I was scared,” added Hailey.
So here's the thing: Initially I read this story, about cops visiting the home of a 5-year-old because she had overdue library books, and I thought, "That's terrible! Who watches the watchmen?!"
CNN reported that cops visited a home in Massachusetts and little Hailey Benoit burst into tears because she hadn't returned How To Tie My Shoes and Eloise's Birthday since April. She thought the cops were there to arrest her! And now the mom, Shannon Benoit, is very angry!
But CNN buried the lead. A spokeswoman from the Charlton Public Library said the Benoit family owes more than $100 in late fees for overdue audio books checked out by Hailey's father. The library sent letters and made calls, but never heard back from the family.
So on one hand, it's a little weird that the cops are showing up to strong-arm people for the libraries. What is this, some kind of library mafia?
But it also sounds like the family is trying to deflect blame for their negligence by making a big deal about how much this traumatized their daughter.
