Massachusetts library will accept unique alternative to overdue book fees: 'People are struggling'

Lost a library book? It doesn’t have to be a cat-tastrophe. 

At least not during the month of March in Worcester, Massachusetts. 

A library there will scratch certain fees off a book borrower’s record in exchange for a picture of the person's cat — or any cat, for that matter.

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The goal is to encourage people to read and visit the library, even if they owe money for a lost or damaged book.

"People are struggling and sometimes choosing between paying for that book that, literally, your dog ate for $30 or buying $30 worth of groceries — those are two very different things," Jason Homer, executive director of the Worcester Public Library, told Fox News Digital.

It’s all about cats at the Worcester Public Library, as it promotes "March Meowness," a time when fees for lost books can be paid by sharing cat photos. The library also has a schedule of events for the month, including cat crafts, a screening of the film "Cats," lectures, story times and more. (Worcester County Public Library)

"And, people do have priorities. So we want to come to them with kindness, with forgiveness and say, ‘Just be part of our community.’"

It’s called the "Feline Fee Forgiveness" program — all part of the library’s month-long "March Meowness" event. 

It aims to reduce barriers to returning to the library, regardless of a person's circumstances.

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And Homer and his staff thought, What better way to welcome people than with soft, cuddly cats?

"A librarian is a book lover, a cardigan lover and a cat lover," Homer said. 

Jason Homer, executive director of the Worcester Public Library, said he believes reading is the "great equalizer" and wants to provide ways for people to settle their lost book fees so they can return to the library. (Worcester County Public Library)

"Our staff has a lot of cats. Some of the staff were in a meeting and they were coming up with ways to bring people back to the library, and they thought, ‘What if we removed as many barriers as possible and told people they could show us a picture of a cat, draw a picture of a cat or just tell us about a cat?'"

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In 2020, the library got rid of fines for overdue books. Why? Because so many people, after the COVID lockdown, had misplaced books that were not able to be returned in person. 

In Worcester, that time period lasted for a year and a half, Homer said.

"We see literacy, both written literacy and digital literacy, as two of the biggest equalizers."

— Jason Homer

"There's a significant number of studies done by public libraries across the country that have proven we don't get books back with fines," Homer said. 

"We end up losing people. Realistically, those fines did really nothing for the library, and it wasn't really a money-generating piece. It was more like a sitting debt that was never paid." 

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Homer said lost library books are a nationwide issue.

"Many communities have this list of kids that have these $30 fees on their cards when they had no control and there was no ill intent," Homer said. 

To remove any potential boundaries people might have in returning to their public libraries, one library director and his team thought it would be a good idea to ask people for photos, drawings or even a chat about cats instead of charging fines for lost books. (iStock)

"There's no way to really collect that. So we're moving on. And ultimately the goal here was to find some way to get people to come back to the library — [people who] might be afraid of the feeling that they will get penalized. We would rather work with funders to get the money and not have to punish kids for some things that are out of their control."

On average, the library collected around $11,000 in fines, Homer said, but it now has a foundation that could cover those fines — as long as the book is eventually returned.

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"When you lose or damage a book beyond lend-ability — say you drop it in the ocean and it’s covered with sand and jellyfish and we can’t take it back and loan it to another person — we do have fees for that," said Homer.

"Reading is something that helps people elevate themselves and make their lives better." (iStock)

Still, well-meaning people have accidents and Homer and his team said they don’t want that to get in the way of progress and enlightenment.

"Reading is the best equalizer we have," Homer said. 

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"It is a space where people can learn, grow, experience things. We see literacy, both written literacy and digital literacy, as two of the biggest equalizers that we can afford [for] our community. Reading is something that helps people elevate themselves and make their lives better."

Plus, it’s patriotic.

"We love cats and we want people to share their cats with us, even if they don’t have lost items. It’s just another way to include everyone."

— Jason Homer

"What's more American than a public library?" Homer also said.

"We have a baseball stadium next door and we often joke that we have the two most American things — a public library and baseball — right next door to each other. And so that's, for us, something that's equally important."

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The library has events scheduled during "March Meowness," including crafts and cat toy-making, story times, lectures, a movie screening of "Cats" and even a de-stress cat petting session.

The library said it will accept photos of "honorary" cats, dogs, raccoons, orcas or capybaras. (Worcester County Public Library)

Homer said the forgiveness fee actually extends way beyond cats. 

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The library will accept photos of "honorary" cats, dogs, raccoons, orcas or capybaras.

Avoid pesky late fees this month at the Worcester County Public Library thanks to the "Feline Fee Forgiveness" program during "March Meowness." (Worcester County Public Library/iStock)

"Any ungovernable animal is good to us," he said.

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