Got Library Fines? Not Anymore

For one week, Lakewood residents will get the opportunity for a clean slate at the .

From April 10 through April 14, people with library fines will be given amnesty on all fines.

It doesn’t matter if it’s $5 or $75. 

No questions asked.

“We know people have our things,” said Judy Grzybowski, the director of the , who is spearheading Amnesty Week.

“We know what’s out there. We just want our things back.”

She said that thousands of items remain checked out — including books, DVDs and CDs — and have not been returned.

“Go in your house and find things you might be embarrassed to bring back to the library because it’s been there so long — and you think the fine is going to be astronomical,” Grzybowski said.

For those who don’t have outstanding materials, but still have fines, the library is offering another incentive to clean the slate.

Patrons can bring in canned food items or non-perishable items that will be donated to the .

Coinciding with National Library Week, both the main Detroit Avenue branch and the Madison Avenue branch are participating in Amnesty Week.

Billed items, such as a lost book or CD, don’t count toward a clean slate.

“Once everything is back, everything is forgiven,” Grzybowski  said.

She said it’s been nearly 20 years since the library has hosted a program like this.

And amnesty was only offered one day.

Grzybowski said the full week was approved, in part, because of the support the library provides during a flailing economy.

“One of our goals is to get people to come back to the library,” she said. “We know that a lot of people can’t check out books because they don’t have the money and they can’t use the computer to find a job.

"We want people to come to the library to check out.”