There’s a famous scene in Seinfeld where Jerry gets a visit from dogged library investigator, Mr. Bookman (yes, Bookman). He’s come to retrieve Jerry’s unreturned copy of Tropic of Cancer from 1971, and he approaches the task with a ruthless emotion usually reserved for courtroom dramas. After a rousing speech about the injustice of unreturned library books, and Jerry’s own realization that he did indeed fail to return to the novel, the comedian reluctantly writes Mr. Bookman a check to make up for 20 years of neglect.
In the real world, of course, there are no Mr. Bookmans to come after you; just those escalating fines and a gnawing sense of guilt that you’ve deprived future generations a wealth of indispensable knowledge. But for just two weeks, beginning Feb. 1, Los Angeles Public Library users can finally put that guilt to rest and return any overdue items free of charge, no questions asked.
It’s all part of the L.A. Library’s temporary amnesty program, beginning next month at all 73 of its locations.
“We’re encouraging everyone -- children, students and adults -- to return their overdue materials so they can get back to discovering all that the library has to offer, and so others can enjoy these books,” City Librarian John F. Szabo said in a statement.
The program, dubbed “LAPL Misses You,” is being offered in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and aims to retrieve some of those 130,000 items currently overdue or missing from L.A.’s public library system. To participate, simply drop your overdue books or DVDs off at the desk or kiosk of your local library between the 1st and 14th of next month.
A word of caution: Library officials are hoping to get their books back in fair condition. So if your Saint Bernard used it as a fire hydrant before your fifth grader lit it on fire, the offer may not apply.
Read more about the L.A. Library’s two-week amnesty program here.
Image Credit: Flickr User 44534236@N00/6425808881, https://flic.kr/p/aMPX7i via (CC BY-ND 2.0)