The Lake County Library System will forgive library fines for overdue materials in exchange for donations of dry or canned food items, hygiene and baby products May 19 – June 1 as part of the County’s “Food for Fines” initiative. The annual spring program seeks to help local food banks and charities while offering library patrons an opportunity to have library fines waived.
Donations will be accepted at each of the 15 Lake County Library System libraries during regular hours. Each unopened, unexpired item will equate to $1 forgiven in library overdue fines. There are no limits to the number of donations a person can make.
The public is also invited to donate acceptable items if they don’t have fines. The items will be used to pay it forward and forgive another person’s fines before being donated to charity.
Clearing fines, especially for children’s library cards, will allow people to fully participate in the library’s summer program and earn prizes for reading. Summer reading is critical for students to retain the knowledge learned in the previous school year and prevent a “summer slide” of their academic skills.
Fines will not be forgiven for items that are lost, damaged or have been sent to a collection agency.
The Leesburg Public Library and the Minneola Schoolhouse Library will also accept pet food donations as part of the program.
The Lake County Library System is dedicated to promoting lifelong learning through a cooperative countywide library system; engaging the community by offering physical and digital content; and offering services critical to education, research and workforce training.
For more information about the Lake County Library System or to find out about future programs, call or visit your local library, or go to http://mylakelibrary.org, www.facebook.com/LakeCountyFLLibrary or https://twitter.com/lakelibrary.
