I think what I found so intriguing about Sandel's point (and we don't have
to get bogged down in fines vs. fee per se--it's just an illustration) is
the *moral* one. He is saying that (in this instance) a fine and a fee are
*morally* different. I.e. Libraries and video shops inhabit different moral
worlds-we have different expectations from them. The market is fine for
video shops but not for (public) libraries?
He has some great examples of where some people feel uncomfortable about the
market (e.g. paying people to queue for you so you can effectively jump the
queue) but find hard to clearly articulate and justify *why* it feels wrong.
The book helps clarify the issues.
Thinking about the library context (and these are not from the book). Given
the need to bring in revenue--- would it be Ok for example to offer a
'premium' service so people could pay extra to jump to the front of the
request queue? Or maybe open the library for 'premium' subscribers who paid
for their library service at times when its normally closed? So there are
some 'Moral Maze' questions to discuss down the pub this weekend.. :)
I think his kind of clear thinking could help the case being made for public
libraries. Anyway it's a good thought provoking read..
Ken
Ken Chad Consulting Ltd
Tel +44 (0)7788 727 845. Email: [log in to unmask]
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-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Usher, John
Sent: 15 June 2012 10:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: fines vs. late fee: the moral dimension
When is a fine not a fine, but a fee?
A fine is what you charge on an item where you are not *allowed* by law (in
the case of libraries) to charge a loan fee (e.g. a book) in the first
place.
Where you are allowed to charge loan fees (of course, you don't *have*
to...), then, for historic reasons, and the way - at least - some LMS's
work, you charge a loan fee but levy a fine if 'overdue' (i.e. 'Late')
In fact it would work better (and be easier to implement, be explicable to
staff and users) if the loan fee/period and the fine/period were one and the
same - i.e. a repeat hire charge.
Semantics? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet?
Or a subscription model for chargeable loans for Libraries, with no 'Late
Fees'? Why not? - if our systems and processes can handle that?
I said some things like this on this list several years ago - the response
from some was I paraphrase...)
'Is he off his head?'
so I kept that head down. But perhaps I wasn't far off the mark?
JU
John Usher
ICT Manager
Library and Heritage Services
Islington Council
Central Library
2 Fieldway Crescent
LONDON N5 1PF
Tel: 020 7527 6920
Mobile: 07825 098 223
Fax: 020 7527 6926
Alternative contact: Michelle Gannon - 020 7527 6907
www.islington.gov.uk
How to get to Central Library:
http://www.islington.gov.uk/Education/Libraries/Local/Central.asp
-----Original Message-----
From: lis-pub-libs: UK Public Libraries
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ken Chad
Sent: 15 June 2012 10:28
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [LIS-PUB-LIBS] fines vs. late fee: the moral dimension
There is an interesting discussion on 'Fines vs. Fees' that refers (albeit
briefly) to library fines (contrasting them to video shop 'late
fees') in Michael Sandel's 'What money can't buy. The moral limits of
markets.' ow.ly/bzPWS <http://t.co/KbvAotqV> See Pg 68 (in my UK
edition). I suspect that many library users treat fines as late fees.
Perhaps more important than fines/fees--the broader issues brought out in
Sandel's book are, I think, very relevant to much of the current debate
about, especially, public libraries. Worth a read.
Ken
Ken Chad Consulting Ltd
Tel +44 (0)7788 727 845. Email: [log in to unmask]
<mailto:[log in to unmask]> www.kenchadconsulting.com
<http://www.kenchadconsulting.com/>
Skype: kenchadconsulting Twitter: @KenChad LinkedIn:
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kenchad
Higher Education Library Technology wiki: http://helibtech.com/
<http://helibtech.com/>
My presentations on slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/kenchad
<http://www.slideshare.net/kenchad>
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