Library offers fine-free week to encourage book returns

Reiger Park Library is giving learners a chance to return overdue books without penalties through its fine-free week, which runs from March 17 to 28.

According to librarian Piet Mabapa, many learners have not returned books for extended periods, with some overdue for as long as five years.

“We hope that this opportunity will help recover lost books and encourage a culture of responsibility among young readers. Some children are scared to bring them back because of the fines,” said Mabapa.

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Mabapa emphasised the importance of returning borrowed books, as the library relies on its collection to serve the community.

“A library functions best when books are returned on time. It allows others to also benefit from them. When books remain unreturned, it affects the availability of resources for other learners and readers who need them.

“We plead with the learners to bring back the books. It is different if you have lost the book because that means you have to pay for the amount of the book,” he explained.

Mabapa clarified that fines are typically charged when a book is overdue by more than two weeks. However, in certain cases, extensions are granted if arranged in advance.

“We do try to extend the borrowing period if requested, but you need to speak to us first so that we are aware. The maximum borrowing period is usually four weeks if properly arranged,” he added.

In addition to the fine-free week, the library is also exploring ways to better engage with the community and encourage responsible borrowing.

They are considering implementing reminder systems, such as SMS notifications or emails, to inform borrowers of upcoming due dates.

“We believe that with better communication and initiatives like this, we can create a more responsible and engaged reading community.

“We don’t want to penalise our learners; we want to encourage them to read and return books so that others can also have access,” said Mabapa.

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