Library fines are on the rise in Scarboro’

Town has one of county’s highest rates

Scarborough Library has been dealing out more punishment than the protagonist of Fifty Shades of Grey, new figures reveal.

The l i brary has dished out thousands of pounds in fines to book lovers failing to get their returns back on time.

So far this year f i nes handed out by the Vernon Road library has amounted to £3,854.

I n 2 0 1 1 , i t i s s ue d f i n e s of £ 2 9, 060. I n 2 01 2 i t was £22,193. This rose slightly to £22,776 in 2013, and again in 2014, to £31,186.

Typical l i brary f i nes for overdue books are 30p a day or part day, going up by 15p up to four days overdue, then 25p after that, while the fine stays at 15p a day for children.

If a book is overdue for a second week or part week the fine will be £2.50, progressing to a maximum of £7.50 after the fifth week or part week. A child’s fine over this period goes from 25p to £1.

Scarborough sits only behind Harrogate, North Yorkshire’s busiest library, in the fines table.

However, only around 60 per cent of fines issued are actually collected by libraries in the county.

N o r t h Yo r k - shire County Council general manager for libraries Chrys Mellor said: “It is a concern there is a gap between fines issued and fines collected because that is money that could go back into the library budget, but without doing that further piece of research as to what the exact reason for the gap is I can’t say much more.”

Mrs Mellor explained that the difference between fines i s sued and f i nes col l ected could be down to the processing system. For example, if a child has an overdue book but their date of birth is not on the system they will have an adult fine against their name. FINES ISSUED BY OTHER BOROUGH LIBRARIES SO FAR IN 2015

Only around 60 per cent of fines issued are actually

collected

Whitby - £954.65 Scalby - £1.053.25 Eastfield - £477.65 Filey - £579.10 Total: £3.064.58 + E-MAIL US YOUR VIEWS: newsdesk@jpress.co.uk + MORE ON: www.thescarboroughnews.co.uk @scarboronews facebook.com/scarboroughnews