This month, the Niagara Falls Public Library System is offering people with outstanding overdue fines an opportunity to reduce what they owe by supporting a local charitable cause.
The library system is accepting donations of non-perishable food items to support Community Missions of the Niagara Frontier. For each food item donated, one's fine is reduced by one dollar, to a limit of 20 dollars.
"I had seen that other libraries around the country have been successful with this type of program," said acting library director Jennifer Potter. "Even some in our Niagara County area had talked to me about how well it had worked for them and what kind of positive reaction they got from the community."
Community Missions, which has been a beneficiary of the library's holiday charitable efforts for years, served more than 29,000 meals to local people in need last year. Potter told WBFO the mission reported a 30 percent increase in demand at their food pantry.
In addition to supporting Community Missions' clients, Potter hopes this opportunity to reduce fines through donations will encourage some people owing money to come back to the library.
"When we've talked to other people about how this program worked at their libraries, they found that people were coming back," Potter said. "They were happy to donate some food and then they were able to take out books and DVDs and everything all over again.
"I hope that it will be good not only for the community in terms of food but also great in terms of getting people to come back to the library."
Donations will be accepted until the end of December at the library system's Earl Brydges Building on Main Street and at the LaSalle branch on Buffalo Avenue at 87th Street.
