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Hillsborough County Libraries To Double Late Fee July 1

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By JESSICA DaSILVA

The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 23, 2008

TAMPA - Procrastination is about to cost library users a little bit more.

On July 1, Hillsborough County's library system will double late fees to 20 cents a day, the first fine increase in 10 years.

The increase is part of a package of proposed and recently enacted changes, including a reduction in the number of items that can be checked out at once, more than tripling the cost of out-of-county library cards and ending the long-standing practice of reciprocal borrowing agreements with regional counties.

David Wullschleger, operations manager for the library system, said an audit showed the library system needed to raise fines to keep its rates on par with other systems in the state.

Late fees brought $500,000 to the library system in 2007, all of which was channeled back into the operating budget, which pays for everyday expenses such as salaries, bills and new books.

The libraries did not project a revenue increase for the new fines because late fee revenue depends on too many factors and is impossible to predict, he said.

"We talked about whether we should attempt an increase for about a day, but we knew we were crazy to think that," Wullschleger said.

The library system's operating budget is slated to increase from this year's $39 million to $40 million next year, mostly because of increased utilities and personnel costs.

Also on July 1, the library system will increase the nonresident card fee from $30 per year to $100.

Andrew Breidenbaugh, chief librarian at the John F. Germany Public Library in downtown Tampa, said the 12 counties around Hillsborough have traditionally been excused from the fee because of a reciprocal agreement that allows free borrowing.

Linda Allen, libraries director for the Pasco County Library Cooperative, said that if Hillsborough ends its agreement with Pasco, the cooperative will still allow Hillsborough residents to borrow from its libraries because there are so few who use them.

On the other hand, a large part of Hillsborough libraries' patrons hail from Pasco County.

"We're all under budget restrictions now," Allen said. "I'm really sad that this is what has to be, but the reality is that we all have to look to reduce our budget. I'm hoping for a better day when we can reestablish our agreement."

Mary Brown, executive director of the Pinellas Public Library Cooperative, said she wasn't sure what libraries in Pinellas would do if Hillsborough canceled its borrowing agreement.

The cooperative is a collaboration of libraries in the county rather than being unified under one system. Brown said that to end the borrowing agreement with Hillsborough, the libraries' administrations would have to meet to come to a single decision.

"I understand the difficulties, and I'm not unsympathetic," Brown said. "I hope that they'll find a solution to continue."

Wullschleger said another recent change is that the library system on June 1 dropped the number of items that can be checked out from 100 to 50.

Of the 50, only 10 can be DVDs and 10 can be CDs.

Breidenbaugh said the changes were enacted because libraries want to get materials back in users' hands as soon as possible. As of the end of May, there were 2.4 million items in Hillsborough's 25 libraries.

He said the limits have not had much effect on library patrons; only 100 or so of about 650,000 card holders check out more than 50 items at a time. Breidenbaugh said those patrons often are teachers, researchers or families who check all their items out on the same card.

Bob Hough, 67, and his granddaughter Sara, 2, frequent the John F. Germany library. They visit on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings for library programs that feature activities and readings for children.

Late fees were more of a worry when his children, now grown, were in high school, he said.

"I paid a lot of fines for their books," Hough said with a laugh. "I used to tell the librarians, 'I bet I paid for this new carpet.'"

Reporter Jessica DaSilva can be reached at (813) 259-7851 or jdasilva@tampatrib.com.

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