Police in Freeport, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh have finally tracked down Katelyn Jageman aka “The Bookkeeper.” Jageman has been living on the lam with a collection of overdue library books and an outstanding overdue book bill of $81. That is until the library dispatched police to hunt her down like a reference book in the learning aisle. It is notable that Jageman started her life of crime a year earlier than Hailey Benoit, the notorious bibliophile from Massachusetts.
Library officials insist that they tried to get the book back and then Donna Michael, President of the Freeport Area Library Board, called in the heat.
The $81 bill represents a rate of ten cents a day over a 204-day period.
Soon however, the Freeport Area Library Board will not have to enlist police to seek out scofflaw bookholders. They have developed books that will defend themselves as shown in this demonstration:
Source: MSN
Hilarious Elaine!
Great story Mike A.
rafflaw,
“I guess these days we should just be happy that the police didn’t taze the child!”
I heard the cops threw the book at her.
Several years ago we attended a wedding in Rhode Island. Since my wife had never been to New England, we decided to take a few extra days for a quick tour. Before we left, I packed away a copy of Virgil’s Aeneid that I had borrowed from the public library in Northampton, Mass. in 1964.
After showing my wife the leafy campus of Smith College, we drove to the Forbes Library. I carried the book to the front desk and informed the student clerk that I was returning the book, but would not pay a fine. He looked at it for a minute, noted the pouch with the check-out card carefully inserted, and informed me that the library no longer used the old indexing system. It was as though I had presented him with a challenge he was unable to understand, let alone deal with. I suggested that perhaps they could re-index the book under their new system. He seemed satisfied, but I walked out with the impression that he would have preferred me to keep the book to save him the trouble. Maybe I should have. It was a very good translation.
raff
of course they tased him, have you ever tried to hit a four y/o with pepper spray? they’d wind up dousing down the rest of the swat team.
I no longer use our library due to the fact that I get very possessive of books and do not want to give them back. This results in large fines which they threaten to send to collections. Then I have to go to the one library with the nice old librarian who looks at me sternly, tells me off then reduces the fine to like 5-10$, I love books what can I say, but don’t let me borrow them! Oh, and our library system is ridiculous and to get good books you have to go 20 miles to where they apparently don’t read much, because all the good books are there.
I guess these days we should just be happy that the police didn’t taze the child! Stupid waste of taxpayer money. How much did it costs the city to send the police to collect that $81.00?
I used to work as a circulation clerk (in two libraries in two different towns). Each library district had their own philosophy about fines. The first town was downright lax, with the philosophy that all the patrons were taxpayers, therefore, they own the books, so we should waive the fines as much as we wanted. Fines were never to go beyond the costs of the book(s).
The second district practically had a Nazi attitude. Sometimes I felt like we were traumatizing people to NOT check out books.
I think the liberal policy encourages a supportive, pro-library tax-payer public more than the “You Vil Pay Zee Fines!” kind of policy.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2012/05/11/court-rules-nsa-doesnt-have-to-reveal-its-semi-secret-relationship-with-google/
Mike S.,
I agree that we have all been subject to and are currently being completely inundated with propaganda. I specifically pointed out that the govt. has successfully turned people against each other. My point is this, we need to examine what is going on. We must work together to understand what has happened to us as a people. In fact, we are acquiescing to authoritarianism. The way to stop doing that is to become aware of this and help each other stop it.
No one of us will see everything. We are being thoroughly manipulated. That is why it is essential to work together, each person pointing to that propaganda that he or she can see. Each person can then listen to others who see through different types of manipulation.
Propaganda is aimed at everyone. It will take the work of many people to work out of this authoritarian mindset. We can do this and should not give up.
“As to the “the willing acquiescence of a population”, one has to wonder where Americans would draw the line, with regard to intrusive surveillance, for example: How about hidden cameras in every home? Surreptitious searches of homes?”
I don’t disagree with the sentiments, but I really believe blaming the citizenry doesn’t help the solve problem of government intrusiveness. The America people have been subjected to 50 years of shameless propaganda, devised by the ruling elite after the murder of JFK and the coup that ensued. Average people, trying to live their lives don’t have the same luxury and/or interest as many of us here. Perhaps we may indict them for not being curious enough to be skeptical, but they have been sold a belief in myths of the “American Dream” and in American “Exceptionalism”. I blame the the ruthless corporate interests, Wall Street and the scions of inherited wealth, for unleashing a continual, unabating barrage of propaganda that has misled us all.
“The $81 bill represents a rate of ten cents a day over a 204-day period.”
With all due respect ten cents a day for 204 days is $20.40. The $81 might include the cost of the book and fines. Or perhaps the library uses the same type of calculator used by credit card companies to calculate past due balances.
BTW, I once inquired about a credit card but never actually opened an account. After approximately six months I had supposedly accumulated $150 in monthly statement and late fees. Finally a attorney, who could apparently read, wrote to acknowledge that I did not have an account and did not owe any money. So I can personally vouch for one time when credit card companies actually did get it right – but it took them a while.
AN, “How about hidden cameras in every home? ”
Actually, that can happen, and has. Most computers now have built-in cameras. A download could contain the trigger to activate that camera outside of your control.
Windows shuts down my computer on its own timeline without my permission to install updates to programs I never use.
An elementary class was issued laptops with cameras to take home. The cameras were turned on without any permission from parents and recorded what happened in the child’s home. Parents were upset when they found and administration officials were put on the hot seat.
So far, this sort of thing is incidental, but all it takes is a brain fart in some HLS minion to make it happen to us all. Just to make sure it doesn’t happen to me, I put a post-it over the camera. Of course, a surreptitious visit could get tiny, remotely-controlled cameras installed in my home that I wouldn’t know about. Damn, my tin foil hat fell off.
Surreptitious searches of homes to find stolen library books (among other things) would be an excellent use of resources.
What is one to do when the dog eats the library book? Well, chews on it until it can no longer be read. Hide it where mom won’t find it. When mom decides your room needs a good clean-out, she finds said book. After a “discussion” about how books are supposed to be treated, a hand-in-hand trip to the book store to get a new copy of the book and on to the library to make an apology and a “donation”.
Very well said, as always, Jill. As to the “the willing acquiescence of a population”, one has to wonder where Americans would draw the line, with regard to intrusive surveillance, for example: How about hidden cameras in every home? Surreptitious searches of homes?
The capitulation of the American populace is shameful.
Citizens of the US need to stop being pro police state. I have seen this govt. successfully turn people against each other. After whipping people into a state of fear and hatred, they hype “law” enforcement as the answer to everything. This helps create/nurture an authoritarian mindset in all of us.
It should seem absolutely insane to do what this library did. It is a waste of resources. More importantly, it is a form of child abuse. So why are ordinary “good Americans” engaging in this destructive behavior?
This isn’t an isolated incident. We need to examine who we have become as a people. Full of fear and hatred we continue to support military/police state ventures abroad and at home. We are buying into this. We can stop buying into it.
Authoritarianism cannot stand without the willing acquiescence of a population. We have brought out truly ugly qualities in our nation since 9/11. We need to understand how that happens and rectify it.
Drone recovery can’t be far behind …
They need to keep doggin’ these kids.
http://jonathanturley.org/2012/01/03/massachusetts-police-nab-five-year-old-fugitive-bibliophile/
LOL, I remember years ago I bought a book at a garage sale…. I noticed it had the library logo on it…… I called them and asked if this was still part of the collection….they said it was… I returned it…. The doofus at the desk asked if I’d was going to pay the late charge…. I was about 25 at the time…you don’t want to hear my response…
I’m surprised they did not call out the SWAT team. This could have been a heated confrontation and no officer would want to go in against a 4 year old without backup – and a lot of it!
Have to come down hard on these scofflaws early or
An’ the next thing ya know,
Your son is playin’ for money
In a pinch-back suit.
And list’nin to some big out-a-town Jasper
Hearin’ him tell about horse-race gamblin’.
Not a wholesome trottin’ race, no!
But a race where they set down right on the horse!
Like to see some stuck-up jockey’boy
Sittin’ on Dan Patch? Make your blood boil?