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135 Comments
- tiology, on 01/23/2009, -2/+111I wonder how much taxpayer money it took to find, arrest and jail her for a $13.95 book?
- EMFK, on 01/23/2009, -1/+96This is totally absurd. Meanwhile, Bernie Madoff is free as a bird. Shelly should have created a Ponzi scheme rather than check out a library book.
- doublefelix, on 01/23/2009, -0/+925TH DEGREE theft? Is that like when you....borrow something?
- inactive, on 01/23/2009, -3/+93I wonder if when all was said and done, if they threw the book at her?
- merlin484, on 01/23/2009, -0/+61Ironically, the town is called, "Independence, Iowa"
- pkjohnson17, on 01/23/2009, -0/+53haha yep its right after 4th degree when someone leaves something at your house and you don't return it fast enough
- rikuansem13, on 01/23/2009, -2/+54Some dude got arrested on 6th degree murder because he knew a guy that had a cousin who had creepy family friend that accidentally touched a guy and killed him.
- TTHouseMike, on 01/24/2009, -1/+49"The library investigator's name is actually Bookman?"
"It's true"
"That's amazing. That's like an ice cream man named Cone." - HookmasterCH47, on 01/24/2009, -3/+44She was probably arrested for possession of a book while in Iowa.
- bmommalee, on 01/23/2009, -2/+37that is just ridiculous. My hard-earned tax dollars are better spent elsewhere. What a crock of crap...
- positron, on 01/24/2009, -1/+29Ideally, they send her a ***** bill for the price of the damned book. What's wrong with you people?
- Wildebeast, on 01/24/2009, -0/+22Maybe she is just a slow reader.
- jordock, on 01/24/2009, -0/+22Let me tell you something, funny boy... You know that little stamp? The one that says New York Public Library? Well, that may not mean anything to you, but that means a lot to me. One whole helluva lot. Sure, go ahead, laugh if you want to. I've seen your type before -- flashy, making the scene, flaunting convention. Yeah, I know what you're thinking... Why's this guy making such a big stink about old library books? Let me give you a hint, junior. Maybe we can live without libraries, people like you and me.... Maybe. Sure, we're too old to change the world. What about that kid, sitting down, opening a book right now in a branch of the local library and finding drawings of pee-pees and wee-wees in The Cat in the Hat and The Five Chinese Brothers. Doesn't he deserve better? Look, if you think this is about overdue fines and missing books, you'd better think again. This is about that kid's right to read a book without getting his mind warped. Or maybe that turns you on, Seinfeld... Maybe that's how you get your kicks... You and your goodtime buddies... I've got a flash for you, joy boy. Party time is over.
- DangerCollie, on 01/24/2009, -1/+19Wouldn't it just make more sense to bill them and, if they didn't return the book, turn it over to collections? A ding on someone's credit rating would still seem a bit excessive but seems more reasonable than the massive overkill of involving an otherwise law-abiding citizen in the criminal justice system.
Stupid is as stupid does. - dscottie, on 01/24/2009, -2/+19WTF!?! Couldn't they just have stopped her from taking out any other books until she returned it?
People like this are a terrible threat to society, I mean, they start off by stealing library books, and before you know it... er... well, that's it really. - Pilot85, on 01/24/2009, -1/+18They might have been afraid she would keep it.
- MacEnvy, on 01/24/2009, -0/+156th degree murder is when you kill someone and Kevin Bacon gets arrested for it.
- palehorse864, on 01/24/2009, -4/+18Wow, last time I borrowed something from my Mom and forgot to return it she REAALY gave me the third degree.
- oxdeltaxo, on 01/24/2009, -1/+15Jesus, where I'm from if you don't return the book they just don't sign out any more to you. They don't even charge you if your late, the only time when you ever gotta pay is if you destroyed or lost the book...and that's only if you feel the compunction to sign another one out.
- noumuon, on 01/24/2009, -1/+14seriously? i've had a book that was years overdue. the most i ever got was a little card in the mail.
- ThinkBox, on 01/24/2009, -6/+18It's called the PATRIOT ACT - Read it!
(R.I.P. Arrested Development) - Ardiente, on 01/23/2009, -0/+12I guess freedom writers are not freedom readers in Independence, Iowa.
- orangefly, on 01/24/2009, -2/+14jesus dude.........easy........
- mr5150, on 01/24/2009, -1/+12dugg for the correct reference to ironic.
- teethandeyes, on 01/24/2009, -0/+10This is absolutely ridiculous.
As a Librarian, I am very offended by this.
Anyplace that I've worked at would never ever do this.
At most Libraries, the staff is very cool and understanding and will totally work with patrons regarding lost materials and whatnot.
This is total *****.
I bet there is more to this story than what is being told.
Thousands of people have missing library books, I have never heard of something like this happening before.
***** nazis! - jscnet, on 01/24/2009, -1/+11Profoundly dumb. How much did it cost the City to arrest and process this woman including any additional court time? For a $13 book? A book, at that. A book which probably cost $1.45 to print, bind and ship... perhaps it was a book that was donated *freely* to the Library.
This sort of thing happens when dumb people make the rules. They lack any creative (friendly) solutions, instead act victimized and create silly rules to "punish" people for silly things.
Here's a solution for the Library director:
If money and your books are THAT important to you, then it would seem reasonable to protect your Library's assets by requiring new members to pay a small (and very reasonable) fee upfront and limit the number of books based on said fee. For example, say Jane comes in and wants a new membership (the membership allows her to remove the books from the Library, otherwise for people just wanting to read books in the Library, no membership is required) -- she will be required to lay down $5. This will allow her to take 2 books out of the Library at a time.
If she neglects to return the books within the specified time, the Library simply deems the books lost. If later, she comes back with the books... the Library may not require her to submit a new fee (another $5). Otherwise if she comes back and truly lost the books, then should should be required to pay for them (at used book rates) if she wants to continue her membership. The monies paid for the books will go back into the pool. The $5 down, covers the Library against people MIA with Library assets, whereas the fee charged to a returning member for lost assets serves two purposes, 1) hopefully teaches the person to be more responsible, and 2) provides more funds to the pool to which end should better cover any of the Library's lost assets.
It's a numbers game, like insurance. Most people will return their books, few will not -- the monies from the initial fees (kept in an interest bearing account) will be used in-pool to replace assets as required.
No one gets arrested. - Kerrigore, on 01/24/2009, -1/+11"I was in Nashville, Tennesee last year. After the show I went to a Waffle House. I'm not proud of it, I was hungry. And I'm alone, I'm eating and I'm reading a book, right? Waitress walks over to me:
"Hey, whatchoo readin' for?"
Isn't that the weirdest ***** question you've ever heard? Not what am I readING, but what am I reading for? Well, godammit, ya stumped me! Why do I read? Well... hmmm... I dunno... I guess I read for a lot of reasons, and the main one is so I don't end up being a ***** waffle waitress!"
- Bill Hicks, Revelations - mr5150, on 01/24/2009, -0/+9Let me get this fully understood.
she borrows a book from the local library which is funded by her tax's so in effect she is a social part owner of the $14 book.
she neglects to return the book and is then charged with theft over something that was originally loaned.
i don't like how this ha turned out and am conflicted with charging someone with this bogus charge.
america is hellbound on making everyone a criminal with every little human indiscretion it can use against them.
It's another sad day. - noen, on 01/24/2009, -3/+12It's not absurd. What some people do is they check out a book and refuse to return it for religious or political reasons. Most often any book dealing with abortion or women's rights. They will also go into libraries and cut out offensive pictures. Often very mild nudity but to them highly offensive. It's a form of censorship.
I don't know for a fact that this is the case here but I think the odds are good. - noen, on 01/24/2009, -2/+11I thought so, I took a look at the Wikipedia entry:
The Freedom Writers Diary
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Freedom_Writers_D ...
"On March 24, 2008, an English teacher at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis, Indiana, Connie Heerman, was suspended for a year and a half without pay for using the Freedom Writers Diary in her classroom against the wishes of the school board. Administrators objected to racial slurs and sexual content in portions of the book."
I'm convinced that is what is happening here. She kept this book and refused to return it because of it's political message. There are a lot of people who want to return to the 19th century and they are willing to do a lot of to get their way. - inactive, on 01/24/2009, -3/+11Two things:
1. It's Ioway. Things happen differently in Ioway, and every native knows exactly how things work. It's uptight and kind of cold, but the vast majority of the population of the state prefer it that way. As the song goes:
"Oh, there's nothing halfway
About the Iowa way to treat you,
When we treat you
Which we may not do at all.
There's an Iowa kind of special
Chip-on-the-shoulder attitude.
We've never been without.
That we recall."
And that's just kind of the way it is.
2. Madoff is actually under house arrest and has one of those anklet things. The way the tide has turned against him in NYC, even in the 30 social seconds at the bodega on the corner every morning, there will certainly be a conviction and ***** there will spend the rest of his life in jail. Believe it.
It will however, due to his enormous riches, take a bit of time to get him into that cage. - palehorse864, on 01/24/2009, -1/+9Was she arrested by this guy?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zePQavforA - Gwyddyon, on 01/24/2009, -0/+8"Don't you know the Dewey Decimal System?!"
- darkstar949, on 01/24/2009, -1/+9I think most libraries tend to work that way - after so long they just declare the book as being lost and then the late fine becomes a bill for the cost of the book.
- oxdeltaxo, on 01/24/2009, -1/+7If a person doesn't return the book it stands to reason they should not be allowed to sign anymore out. That's a no brainer.
- inactive, on 01/24/2009, -2/+8In Capitalist America, library ***** you.
- inactive, on 01/24/2009, -0/+6This reminds me of a story by Stephen King. 'The Library Policeman' was written after King's son didn't want to go to the library as he was afraid of the library police. King felt this was a nice idea and used it. What if there were serious men in long coats that came to your house and fetched the books if you didn't return them in time? And most importantly: what happens if you lose the book you borrowed? Now this lady knows.
- nanousr, on 01/24/2009, -1/+7If Kevin Bacon ever kills someone we'll all be screwed!
- ricker2005, on 01/24/2009, -1/+7http://www.gazetteonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article ...
Here's the original article. While I don't think she should have been arrested, my pity level is pretty low for somebody who had a library book out for nine months (libraries typically loan for 2-3 weeks and fine you after that), got four calls, four letters, and a cop visit telling her to return the book, and still didn't return it. At any point in the whole fiasco she could have just handed the book back in or told them she lost it and paid for it. I'm guessing she's not the sharpest knife in the drawer. - rushiku, on 01/24/2009, -0/+55th == <= $200 == misdemeanor != jailable offense (unless one is a repeat offender)
- fas2, on 01/24/2009, -1/+6This is just absurd. Really, WTF?
- anubis2night, on 01/24/2009, -0/+5Hmmm, little wonder that the state is $600 million in debt. If I were these guys I'd try to spend more time doing my job effectively and stop wasting tax payer money.
- ThugThrasher, on 01/24/2009, -1/+6@rossisdead:
The TEACHING of The Freedom Writer's Diary wasn't returning to the 19th century.
That's the book the woman checked out and refused to return. He was saying that the woman was probably keeping it to keep it out of the library and therefore out of reach of anyone who wanted to read it, thus helping to enforce her very strict values (hence the reference to 19th century) on everyone else. - admdrew, on 01/24/2009, -0/+4At least they weren't arrested.
- inactive, on 01/24/2009, -1/+5Either George Carlin or Bill Hicks made an awesome joke about anti-intellectual book haters in a pancake shop. Who was it, anyone?
- PowerInside, on 01/24/2009, -1/+5Maybe she should have tried sticking to ebooks.
- InorganicMatter, on 01/24/2009, -1/+5This is what happens in tiny towns that have too many bored employees in the police force.
- iignotus, on 01/24/2009, -0/+4Well-done, sir, well-done.
- demonicume, on 01/24/2009, -0/+4when i came back from overseas, I got clinked for petty theft as I in-processed into my post. I'd checked out a tape copy of the Spawn cartoon movie from HBO. I asked a friend to return the video, which he did not. The store charged me with petty theft - as in less than $20. it took 3 years to get that lame charge washed away. Its not like I was hard to find. All that ***** had to do was see that my address was Fort Jackson and call them. Then he woulda known I was out of country.
- NicoNicoNico, on 01/24/2009, -0/+4I had a doctor named Dr. Stabb. I'm perfectly serious, it's a valid last name.
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