Lamont's Fall Fines Exceed $3000; Assessments Run as High as $60

Lamont Library may exact over $3,000 in fines for the three months of September, October and December if every student assessed in his last term bill for late book returns pays in full.

Eight percent, or 2,637 of the 37,000 reserve books issued overnight or on weekends during the period were returned late, Philip J. McNiff, Lamont Librarian, said yesterday. Over 2,000 of these, however, McNiff added, were returned later the same day they were due.

The heaviest individual fine levied was $60, while several others had to pay more than $10.

Preliminary results from a study of the effects of Lamont's plan of heavier fines, imposed first last year, show a decrease in books returned late from 15 percent to this year's figure of eight percent of all reserve books circulated. McNiff said only one and one-half percent were returned more than a day late.

The present system of fines as an inducement to students to return books on time is working "pretty well," McNiff said. "The policy is geared to getting the reserve books back to the students waiting for them, not for revenue. It is only for the protection of the other students who are deprived of necessary books," he added.

Besides the system of levying heavy fines, Lamont can withdraw Library privileges of a student consistently disregards its rules. Some lateness is excused for sickness of other reasons, McNiff said. "But one boy who kept out a reserve book despite repeated calls for two weeks was treated severely. He was fined $16 and not allowed to purchase the book."

When Lamont first opened it imposed no fines, either for reserved or non-reserved books, McNiff said. Because students returned the reserve books late, however, fines had to be imposed.

The system of fining has undergone several changes, going from a 32 maximum to the present unlimited fine, and reducing the charge for the first half hour from 50 to 25 cents. McNiff added that "When the student body returns almost all books on time, the library will return to the no fine system."