Reading Eagle
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Reading Eagle: Ben Hasty
Reading Public Library at Fifth and Franklin streets.
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The Reading Public Library trustees are talking about having Reading police pursue patrons who do not return borrowed materials to the library.
Library Director Frank Kasprowicz said Monday that other means of collections have not been effective and that he has discussed the matter with Police Chief William M. Heim.
Kasprowicz said the library would have to turn patron records over to police in order for them to issue citations and have the matters heard before a district judge.
Some board members raised concerns about the amount of time library staff members would have to spend attending hearings.
The board asked that the proposal be reviewed by its solicitor before taking any further action.
Kasprowicz said the value of items not returned each month fluctuates, but can be as high as $5,000.
He also said the top offenders have hundreds of dollars of unreturned materials.
In other business, the board voted to amend a resolution it made in January regarding communications.
Board President Reneé Dietrich, who was unable to attend the January meeting, said the policy would not work because it required that all communications with the media be reviewed by both the board president and library director.
The revised policy states that all official public statements and policy statements must be approved by either the board president or library director.
Kasprowicz said it is already a staff policy that all questions from the media be directed to him.
- By David A. Kostival
Originally Published: 2/19/2013
http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=453682
