NORTHWEST
East Oregonian
A2
Thursday, December 5, 2019
Local libraries still find value in overdue fines
Northeast Oregon
libraries bucking
nationwide trend of
charging late fees
By SABRINA
THOMPSON
EO Media Group
LA GRANDE — The
majority of local libraries
are holding on to the tra-
dition of fines for overdue
materials. But for how much
longer remains a question.
Returning a book or other
items days late means a fee
on your library account.
Most of these fees do not
exceed 10 cents a day, but
with each passing day, the
cost adds up. Some libraries
are dumping overdue fines.
According to a survey in
the Library Journal, 8% of
libraries across the nation
have stopped charging
patrons for not returning
books on time.
“When you have fines,
you are making the library
less accessible to those who
benefit the most from using
it,” Cook Memorial Library
Director Kip Roberson
said. “According to studies
that are being published in
library journals, fines hurt
low-income people and chil-
dren the most. These are
also the people using our
Staff photo by Kathy Aney
The Pendleton Public Library continues to charge late fees for overdue books.
libraries as part of their per-
sonal development, and with
fines they can’t access these
services.”
Local libraries cap fines
at a maximum of $5 on the
account, and prohibit check-
ing out more materials
and using library services
until the fines go below the
threshold.
“There is a fear and
stigma around overdue
fines,” Roberson said. “Peo-
ple are afraid it will get
above an amount they can
pay, or that the librarian will
yell at them.”
However,
Roberson
explained, many librarians
are very understanding, and
the most important thing to
the library is getting back
the materials. On a case by
case basis, librarians may
forgive fines, depending on
the circumstance that went
into the late return.
La
Grande’s
Cook
Memorial Library is consid-
ering eliminating late fines
in the coming year, Rob-
erson said, a decision that
would ultimately come from
the La Grande City Council.
Doing away with fines
raises the concern people
won’t return the materials
at all. However, according
to a study conducted by the
Library Journal, a majority
of libraries that have elimi-
nated fines still receive their
materials.
The Cove Public Library
does not charge overdue
fines, while the Union Car-
negie Public Library, Elgin
Public Library and Cook
Memorial Public Library do.
The all-volunteer Library
Improvement Club runs the
library in Cove. Improve-
ment Club member Yvonne
Oliver said the volunteers
have chosen not to have late
book fines for the last 15
years. These libraries still
charge fines for lost and
damaged books. The North
Powder City Library did not
respond to inquiries about
fines in time for publication.
The public libraries in
Pendleton and Hermiston
continue to charge fines for
overdue items.
“When people have to
pay fines, they are more
likely to bring their books
back on time,” Pendleton
Public Library Director Jen-
nifer Costley said.
“Fines can be an encour-
agement or a punitive pun-
ishment,” Hermiston Public
Library Director Mark Rose
said.
They also said they do not
see fines as a barrier for pre-
venting patrons from using
the library, and by having
the fines, there is a sense of
personal responsibility.
For some libraries, the
money from fines helps pay
for materials, staff and ser-
vices. The Pendleton Pub-
lic Library uses the revenue
from fines to pay for a part-
time position and addi-
tional programming. Cost-
ley said the library in 2018
collected around $17,000 in
fines and replacement costs.
Smaller local libraries do
not collect as much, but the
money is part of their fund-
ing, some relying on it for
everyday operations.
Libraries often lend more
than just books, and many
libraries have adopted pro-
grams for all ages and pro-
vide services and materi-
als that help with learning.
For people who don’t have
access to a computer at
home, using a computer at
the library can be a way to
stay in touch with family and
friends or look for employ-
ment. But overdue fines can
block these services.
During the winter, Cook
Memorial Library offers
an opportunity to pay off
fines using food donations.
Patrons can donate up to 10
food items to pay off their
fines, with each item taking
a dollar off their total.
“It’s a way to help patrons
out during this time of year
when money is tight,” pro-
gram organizer Carrie Bush-
man said. “And it helps those
in the community by stock-
ing the sharing pantry for
those who can’t afford food.”
Other alternatives for
reducing
library
fines
include amnesty peri-
ods where books can be
returned and slates wiped
clean; donation boxes where
people who might feel guilty
about returning a book late
can donate money; and
pay-it-forward options in
which a person can donate
to cover the cost of another
patron’s fines.
TODAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
Knute Buehler gives up $22,500 in
donations from Gordon Sondland
Intervals of clouds
and sunshine
An afternoon
shower in spots
A little morning
rain; cloudy
A passing shower
in the morning
Mostly cloudy
By JEFF MAPES
Oregon Public Broadcasting
43° 33°
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Forecast for Pendleton Area
PENDLETON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
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HERMISTON TEMPERATURE FORECAST
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OREGON FORECAST
ALMANAC
Shown is today’s weather. Temperatures are today’s highs and tonight’s lows.
PENDLETON
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
LOW
TEMP.
Seattle
Olympia
51/43
44/35
43/32
Longview
Kennewick Walla Walla
41/32
Lewiston
52/40
42/32
Astoria
54/42
Pullman
Yakima 41/32
50/38
45/34
Portland
Hermiston
51/42
The Dalles 42/30
Salem
Corvallis
49/34
Yesterday
Normals
Records
La Grande
42/36
PRECIPITATION
John Day
Eugene
Bend
50/38
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44/37
Ontario
43/33
Caldwell
Burns
37°
28°
42°
29°
67° (1982) 2° (2013)
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
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Albany
49/36
0.00"
Trace
0.22"
4.95"
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8.69"
WINDS (in mph)
42/33
39/25
0.00"
0.01"
0.18"
11.59"
8.88"
11.65"
through 3 p.m. yest.
HIGH
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TEMP.
Pendleton 39/30
49/35
24 hours ending 3 p.m.
Month to date
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HERMISTON
Enterprise
43/33
41/33
51°
27°
41°
28°
70° (1923) -1° (1972)
PRECIPITATION
Moses
Lake
50/37
Aberdeen
40/31
39/33
Tacoma
Yesterday
Normals
Records
Spokane
Wenatchee
51/43
Today
Medford
57/40
Fri.
ENE 3-6
E 4-8
Boardman
Pendleton
NNE 3-6
ESE 6-12
BEND — Republi-
can Knute Buehler, who
unsuccessfully ran for
Oregon governor last year,
on Tuesday became the
third politician to get rid of
campaign donations from
Gordon Sondland.
Sondland, a Portland
businessman-turned-dip-
lomat now at the center of
the House impeachment
hearings, was accused last
week of sexual misconduct
by three Portland-area
women in a story published
by Portland Monthly and
ProPublica.
Buehler said in a state-
ment that “upon learning
of the serious allegations
against Mr. Sondland”
that he and his wife, Patty,
decided to donate to char-
ity the $22,500 that Sond-
land had given to Buehler’s
gubernatorial campaign.
47/35
Forecasts and graphics provided by AccuWeather, Inc. ©2019
Sunrise today
Sunset tonight
Moonrise today
Moonset today
Full
7:19 a.m.
4:12 p.m.
1:27 p.m.
12:18 a.m.
Last
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NATIONAL EXTREMES
High 84° in Falfurrias, Texas Low -11° in Daniel, Wyo.
Dec 11
Dec 18
Dec 25
Jan 2
BRIEFLY
Man arrested after allegedly
assaulting his mother
BAKER CITY — A Baker County
man was arrested Monday morning after
he allegedly assaulted his mother during
an argument at the family’s home along
Highway 86 about 25 miles east of Baker
City.
Kevin Joseph Eber, 30, was arrested
about 3:08 p.m. outside the home, which
is along the Powder River.
He was taken to the Baker County Jail
and is charged with fourth-degree assault,
menacing and strangulation.
His mother, Lisa Eber, reported the
incident Monday evening after she left
NATIONAL WEATHER TODAY
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the home.
Lisa Eber told the dispatcher that she
thought she heard a gunshot after she fled
the home, said Ashley McClay, public
information officer for the Baker County
Sheriff’s Office.
Due to that report, deputies upon arriv-
ing watched the home as a precaution,
since there was no phone in the residence
and they couldn’t contact Kevin Eber,
McClay said.
He eventually walked out of the
home and deputies arrested him without
incident.
They didn’t find any evidence that Eber
had fired a gun, McClay said.
— EO Media Group
CORRECTION: In a brief published Dec. 3, 2019, on page A6, incorrect infor-
mation was given about a benefit of joining the Pendleton Air Museum as a vol-
unteer or board member. Those joining the group will receive a free gift as part
of their membership.
Shown are noon positions of weather systems and precipitation. Temperature bands are highs for the day.
showers t-storms
The action comes as
Buehler is considering a
race for the 2nd Congres-
sional District seat that
will be vacated by retiring
GOP Rep. Greg Walden.
The sexual misconduct
allegations also prompted
Portland
Commissioner
Nick Fish to donate the
$1,500 in campaign con-
tributions he had received
from Sondland, who ran a
Portland-based hotel chain
before becoming U.S.
ambassador to the Euro-
pean Union.
Even
before
those
allegations,
Portland
Mayor Ted Wheeler had
announced
earlier
in
November that he would
First
Yesterday’s National Extremes: (for the 48 contiguous states)
-0s
Sondland
SUN AND MOON
Klamath Falls
-10s
Buehler
give up $16,000 in dona-
tions he had received from
Sondland between 2012
and 2016. At the time,
Wheeler’s campaign man-
ager, Jennifer Arguinzoni,
said questions had been
raised
about
Sond-
land’s role in pressuring
Ukrainian officials to con-
duct politically motivated
investigations in exchange
for U.S. military aid.
Sondland
said
the
accounts by the three
women are all untrue and
said in a statement “I cate-
gorically deny them.”
Buehler said his for-
mer campaign guberna-
torial committee, which
still operates as a politi-
cal committee, will donate
$11,250 each to the Beth-
lehem Inn homeless shel-
ter in Bend and CASA of
Central Oregon. The latter
group provides court-ap-
pointed special advocates
for children in foster care.
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