Progressive Fine Plan commences, Clicks at Lamont

"Just about the best Monday is Lamont history."

So spoke Librarian Philip J. McNiff last night in describing the first day of the library's new progressive fine system for late books.

One third fewer books were unreturned after 9:15 a.m. yesterday than on any day last week, and within an hour, two thirds of them were collected. By the end of the day, violators had contributed a total of $50,000 to Lamont's coffers.

"It certainly looks encouraging," McNiff remarked, but he admitted that it was still too early to pass judgment on the new system. Students now must pay 50 cents for every hour they keep a book overdue at Lamont. The limit, however, is $2.00 per book.

McNiff explained that he hopes the new system will weed out chronic violators. Some of these men will lose their library privileges; for others, a "talking to" should suffice, McNiff said.

Out of 68,000 books taken out this year, only 25 are still unaccounted for, the librarian also mentioned.