I want to suggest that something be done about the catch-22 system of assessing library fines at Ohio State.
At present, the fine for overdue books that have been recalled is $10 per day. I realize this policy was put in place to curb abuses involving overdue library books, but there is a problem with the notification system.
The library stubbornly refuses to notify its patrons about recalled materials via any other means than Ohio State e-mail, a system which many have long since abandoned for others that are more convenient. No one should have to maintain several e-mail accounts at once, nor should they have to set up complicated forwarding systems to get occasional pieces of notification sent to the right place. It seems that in the age of computers, allowing individuals to set the e-mail address to which notices can be delivered is not too much to ask.
I am regularly being docked $10-$40 a month for recalls that could easily be avoided if this bureaucratic stubbornness did not persist – and I know that others are suffering more than me. A recall delay fine on even one book for one day constitutes a substantial loss of a graduate student’s disposable income for the month. If this abusive situation continues, the university will not see any alumni donation from me in the near future – as far as I am concerned, they have already received one.
John CurryDoctoral candidate in the Department of History
