One More Reason To Hate Librarians…

Not sure what the first five are, but here's a new one: turning overdue returns into a criminal offense.

Stacks of chronically overdue library books may soon land some readers in Bay County, Mich., more than just a 10-cent-a-day fine. Frustrated librarians are proposing a crackdown on the worst offenders that could include criminal charges and up to 90 days in jail.

"We want to go after some of the people who owe us a lot of money," Frederick J. Paffhausen, the library's system director, told The Bay City Times for a story Thursday. "We want to set an example."

Paffhausen, you magnificent bastard! Just don't complain when people stop coming to the library, much less taking stuff out. This is a great example of a policy that, however well-intentioned, is completely ass-backwards and destructive, especially in an age when NetFlix and other rental services' main selling point is safety from overdue fees.

Whole story here.