Can someone please explain to me the purpose of library fees? The public library is still supported by tax dollars, right? Then why am I funding the DVD department of my local library? Obviously, some smartass out there is responding with, because you didn’t turn your stuff in on time, duh. Thank you for that brilliant piece of deduction. Now can you explain to me why I have to pay for something I have essentially already paid for? Taxes we paid purchased those wonderfully “free†DVDs at the library. But just because I can’t make it to the library on time doesn’t mean I should have to buy it again, right?
In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have library fines. We wouldn’t have to pay for being a day late. I’ve literally spent more than $50 in late fees over the past year. Unfortunately, due to the sinful human condition, not many of us would return the book or movie until much later if fees were not assessed. Some people still don’t. But it is the penalty which drives us to be responsible citizens. It is not the desire to make sure other people have access to the same materials we have.
In a perfect world where I am not king (because having to be kind would cause it to no longer be a perfect world), I would pay no late fees and fear no penalties. I would return my books and DVDs on time because I had spare time (which I do not have) and because I care about whether another person gets to view this material (I am not really this caring).
That’s in a perfect world. This is decisively NOT a perfect world. In THIS world, I should receive at least three DVDs to own from the library as compensation for all the fees they have so unnecessarily charged. Until this occurs, we can safely assume that the perfect world is in no danger of taking the place of this one.