Henderson library fees increase

By Dave Clark

Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 | midnight

Late fees at the Henderson District Public Libraries are jumping from 10 cents per day per item to 20 cents a day per item for all adult materials beginning Sept. 1.

Meanwhile, the total fine threshold barring patrons from borrowing more materials increased from $4 to $6.

"We've been getting a message from patrons that 10 cents a day is no longer an incentive to return the materials on time," Assistant Henderson Libraries Director Gayle Hornaday said. "It may be that 20 cents a day won't be either, but it will be a little benefit to the library as we use that money to increase our collection."

The fines include all adult materials including books, CDs, DVDs and audiobooks.

However, the new fee schedule does not apply to children's books which remain 10 cents per day. The maximum fine per item has also been left unchanged at $2.

The library has not increased fees since 2000, and despite the recent hike, Hornaday said late returns do not pose a large program.

"It's to give a message to the public to get their materials back on time or pay a little benefit to the library and the rest of the public without becoming an extreme measure," she said.

Fines are still higher at the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, which charges patrons 25 cents a day for overdue books along with a $4 per item maximum, according to its Web site.

Hornaday said Henderson libraries collect between $60,000 and $70,000 each year through fines, and she predicted a modest increase of roughly 10 percent due to the increase.

Last year, she said, the library circulated about 1.2 million items through about 100,000 active patrons.

The Paseo Verde branch is also raising money through monthly book sales, including one running from Sept. 4 through Sept. 8.

Hornaday said the library will have thousands of books to choose from and expected the sales to generate about $2,000.

"These are both things that are a benefit to the library," she said. "Ultimately we put that money back into the collection and back into the services the library offers."

Dave Clark is a reporter for the Home News. He can be reached at 990-2677 or [email protected].