For Immediate Release: November 1, 2007

Get A Fresh Start!
Oakland Public Library’s Fines & Lost Books Forgiveness,
November 24 – December 14, 2007

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(Oakland, CA)— The Oakland Public Library urges community members with overdue and lost items to “Get a Fresh Start” during a special three-week amnesty campaign. The library’s Fines & Lost Books Forgiveness campaignwill run from Saturday, November 24 through Friday, December 14, 2007. During this period, anyone who returns overdue items or who requests forgiveness for lost materials checked out before November 1, 2007 will have their fines and fees cleared by coming to any Oakland Public Library location. While this forgiveness campaign will apply to all users, the Oakland Public Library especially wants to encourage youth and families to return and enjoy the many resources of the Oakland Public Library. The general amnesty will apply to all locations and library materials, with the exception of tools from the Tool Lending Library.

“This innovative campaign to encourage youth, families, and those with overdue books or outstanding fines to return and enjoy the many resources of the Oakland Public Library shows a tremendous willingness to put the interests of Oakland residents at the forefront,” states Mayor Ron Dellums. He adds, “This second chance will offer members of our community the opportunity to become re-acquainted with the benefits of learning and the various community resources which are available.”

“The Forgiveness Campaign is our pre-holiday gift to our community,” said Carmen Martinez, Oakland’s Library Director. “Many young people are currently prevented from using our services because of outstanding fees and fines. This puts them at a disadvantage in achieving school success. We want to give them a fresh start so that they can use our resources to help them learn and grow, while educating them about the importance of returning library materials on time.”

Nearly 94,000 Oakland Public Library users have overdue or lost book fines dating back to 1989 (the first year that the library began to electronically record its patron records) which prevent them from borrowing materials. Library officials estimate that Oakland youth (ages 14 – 18) comprise approximately 30% of the blocked cards. A “blocked card” means that someone cannot borrow materials from the library. Based on the age of the outstanding debt, library officials estimate that the majority of this debt is unrecoverable. During the last forgiveness campaign in 2002, nearly 6,000 users took advantage of this program to return to the library.

Users can “Get a Fresh Start” by visiting any Oakland Public Library location during the weeks of November 24 – December 14, 2007. Those with lost materials must visit a library in-person to clear their records. Individuals who do so during the forgiveness period will have their fines and fees cleared and can check out materials the same day—no questions asked!

For more information, please call (510) 238-3134, or see the Oakland Public Library’s Web site: ww.oaklandlibrary.org. The Oakland Public Library is a department of the City of Oakland.

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