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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (July 8, 2020)
July 8, 2020 Page 3 INSIDE L O C A L N E W S The Week in Review S PORTS page 2 page 5 page 6 M ETRO The Multnomah County Central Library, downtown. (Wikipedia Commons) No More Library Late Fees New policy clears debts; restores access page 8 Arts & ENTERTAINMENT O PINION C LASSIFIED /B IDS page 9 pages 10 Established 1970 USPS 959 680 4747 NE Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., Portland, OR 97211 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or per- sonal usage without the written consent of the general man- ager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amal- gamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association PO QR code Mark Washington, Sr. e ditor : Michael Leighton Office Mngr/Clasfds: Lucinda Baldwin s ales d irector : Leonard Latin c reative d irector : Paul Neufeldt o ffice a sst /s ales : Shawntell Washington Multnomah County Library will permanently stop charging late fines on all library materials, clear all existing fines and restore access to accounts blocked be- cause of fines, effective immedi- ately. Patrons will continue to be billed for unreturned materials. “Our public libraries exist to provide free and equal access to shared resources for everyone,” Multnomah County Chair Deb- orah Kafoury announced last week. “And yet, the practice of assessing punitive fines for late returns has locked people out, many of whom are already facing hardships. The resources, support and sense of belonging found in our libraries are needed urgently during these trying times, and I’m grateful that this change will fur- ther open access to this commu- nity asset.” The library will remove fine debt for 72,861 patron accounts in an amount totaling $730,185 and restore library account access for more than 2,000 people who had their accounts blocked due to fines in excess of $50. “We have watched closely as a growing body of research has shown that late fines don’t work, that a large percentage can nev- er be collected and that ending the practice doesn’t increase the number of late returns,” said Di- rector of Libraries Vailey Oehlke. “Other library systems as close Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208 c ontinued on P age 4 Black Pioneers Hire Expert Professional is first to lead group in 27 years P ublisher : CALL 503-288-0033 • FAX 503-288-0015• news@portlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver.com• subscription@portlandobserver.com as Vancouver and as far away as Washington, D.C. have ended the practice, and it’s well past time we did the same. This change will help Multnomah County Library truly serve its community in a free and equal way.” In fiscal year 2019, the library collected about $548,755 in over- due fines (about 0.5% of its adopt- ed FY21 annual budget). Overdue fine revenue has decreased signifi- cantly over time (from nearly $1 million in 2016), as e-books and audiobooks have grown in popu- larity and since the library elimi- nated youth fines in 2016 and edu- cator fines in 2018. “Late fines cause some pa- trons to avoid using the library at all because they are unable to The Oregon Black Pioneers, a group founded in 1993 to re- search, recognize and commem- orate the culture and heritage of African Americans in the state, has hired a professional historian to help guide the organization for the first time in its history. Zachary A. Stocks started work on July 1. He was hired by the Zachary A. Stokes organization’s board of directors who cited his substantial skills and the capacity to strategically guide and advance the organization for- ward, officials said. “We are pleased to welcome him aboard,” said Oregon Black Pioneers President Willie Rich- ardson. In a news release, Stocks said he was “eager to build a sustain- able path for the organization’s growth, and build new excitement around Oregon’s unique African American cultural traditions. “Now is a turbulent time in our c ontinued on P age 10
