SF Library $115 Lost-book Fee Flyer

SF Library $115 Lost-book Fee Flyer
Reply-To: libraryusers2004 at yahoo dot com

FYI again -- the Board of Supervisors votes July 15, and sooner is better than later for letters.

Text below -- somewhere it needs to have a stamp: "Supervisors to vote July 15"

Best -- Peter Warfield 415/7 5 3 - 2 1 8 0 libraryusers2004 at yahoo dot com

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Help Stop S.F. Public Library’s Unauthorized
$115
Lost-book Fee - Supervisors Vote 7/15/08
San Francisco Public Library has been charging more than a dozen fines and fees that were never authorized by the Supervisors, who must approve all City fines and fees.

In fact, the Library Commission itself never approved implementing these fees, either.

On May 1, 2008, the Library Commission voted to send legislation to the Board of Supervisors authorizing these fees retroactively. The proposed legislation creates barriers to access, and is
UNJUSTIFIABLE
UNNECESSARY
REGRESSIVE – hurts poorest people the most
The proposed legislation would authorize these fees:
$115 for a lost or damaged book, if it was obtained by the patron from another library using the library’s “LINK+” system.* In contrast, the Library’s long-time policy for its own lost books is to allow replacement, or payment of replacement cost plus a $5 processing fee. Policy for books lost from other library systems has been to follow the lending library’s policy – typically replacement cost plus a small processing fee.
$20 to scan a photograph. By comparison, the cost for a photograph of a photo remains $1. Note the fee is $15 for a previously-scanned photo.
Many new charges for use of equipment in a community meeting room, such as $30 per hour for a Powerpoint presentation, and $30 to use a microphone.
We have had a partial success so far, but we need public support to finish the job.
Library Users Association sounded alarms when the legislation was first proposed in December, 2007. Thanks to our efforts and others’, the proposed legislation was revised. It now allows patrons to pay a lower replacement fee, if -- that’s a big if -- the lending library authorizes it. But the $115 fee may still be collected at the lender’s option, even if replacement/repair actually costs much less. And a patron unable to pay would lose borrowing privileges under current library rules.
Additionally, The library administration dropped wording that would have allowed future changes without any action by the Board of Supervisors, just approval from the Controller and Commission.
Here’s What You Can Do:
1. Write to the Board of Supervisors (email: Board.of.Supervisors [at] sfgov.org).
1. Ask them to stop the Library charging and posting unauthorized fines and fees
2. Ask them not to sponsor, or support, the Library Commission’s proposed legislation authorizing these fines and fees.
2. Get more information by contacting Library Users Association:
Library Users Association, P.O.B 170544, San Francisco, CA 94117-0544
..… Libraryusers2004 [at] yahoo.com …...415/753-2180 ….
*LINK+ is an automated system to obtain books from 49 area libraries. By contrast, traditional inter-library loan can access thousands of libraries. LINK+ is found in the SFPL’s online catalog.