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Over the past year patrons have taken severe advantage of your library’s policies. New patrons have signed up for a Wedsworth Library card and destroyed the faith Library staff has developed in their patrons over the years concerning overdue and lost items.

Indifferent, ignoring, and lack of response to communication attempts to recall and reclaim library materials has ruffled the feathers of library staff. As a result of patrons’ irresponsible attitudes towards library policies, library policies will be changed and enforced.

As of July 1, 2023 new policies will be in effect regarding new patrons obtaining a library card and overdue items. The Library will be tightening up the application of their current policies regarding fines of overdue materials and lost items.

The library has been lax in enforcing their policies in this area because we have had faith that our patrons would do the right thing and return all items checked out. Over the years we have worked with patrons to allow them time to find lost items. We have been gentle in fines and cost of replacement items. The current attitude of patrons appears to be that they don’t have to return items. As a result, everyone will suffer.

Library staff has no desire to punish everyone, but unfortunately the few are forcing changes. The library can not afford to continue to lose the number of items that have essentially been stolen from the library in the past year. If necessary, we will limit the number of items each patron can check out and no new items will be checked out if there are items still checked out to the patron.

Please be aware Per MT Code Annotated: 22-1-506. Liability for injury to books or failure to return. A person who defaces, tears, or otherwise injures any book or other work or who fails to return any book taken by the person is liable to the state in three times the value of the book if the book is not replaced by a new one or another book of identical title, in good order and condition. A statute of limitations may not ever be effective against the claim of the state under this section.

Per federal statutes, any person who shall steal, wrongfully deface, injure, mutilate, tear, or destroy Library materials, or any portion thereof, hall be punished by affine of not more than $2,000 or imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both (18USC 1361; 18USC 2071; and 22D.C. Code 3306).

We have filed theft charges in the past. We are currently on the verge of filing several theft charges with local law enforcement. Please be aware, the Library aggressively protects the privacy of our patrons. Once theft has occurred that privacy flies out the window to recover stolen items.

Most people would find it horrible to steal food from a grocery store or clothing from a clothing store. Why do they feel the need to steal from a library?? We allow you to check out items for free. We aren’t charging you to read a book or watch a movie. We just can’t afford to keep replacing stolen items.

Please if you have ANY items checked out from Wedsworth Library and they are overdue, return them. Return them now. You are not only hurting the Library, but you are hurting yourself and other patrons. Remember there is no statute of limitations for these theft charges.