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
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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
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Black Pioneers Hire Expert
Professional
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group in 27
years
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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