San Diego State University Library and Information Access     

"Food for Fines" Drive a Resounding Success

Last holiday season, the San Diego State University Library performed two good deeds at once: patrons with overdue library books and fines could donate food to clear their fines, and the library donated that food to the San Diego Food Bank to feed the area's hungry.

From December 9 to December 20, the library offered an overdue fine "amnesty" to anyone donating a non-perishable or canned food item to the library's food drive. Regardless of the amount, fines were cleared from patrons' records at a rate of one can per one overdue item.

The Circulation Desk is always busy, especially at the end of the semester, but for almost two weeks it was the epicenter of activity as food collection bins and boxes filled and overflowed with cans of soup, beans, fruit, and meat and boxes of oatmeal, stuffing mix, and cereal. According to Dorothy Patterson, the library's patron database coordinator, 694 overdue charges were cleared from patron records during this two-week period.

"This program encouraged users to return library materials needed by others, while making them feel good about their donation to the food bank," said Mark Lester, director of access, communication, and fiscal services. "The library saves on replacement costs for lost materials and can clear records for relatively small debts from our database."

However, not all of the food collected was donated by patrons with fines; some items were contributed by people who wanted to spread a bit of holiday cheer. At the end of the drive, the library had collected around 1,000 food items for the hungry.

The San Diego Food Bank solicits, collects and distributes donated and purchased food to those in need. The Food Bank also works in conjunction with local soup kitchens and nonprofit charities and provides monthly supplemental groceries to low-income seniors.

(below) Circulation staff members Melinda Kuykendall, Annalyn Avendano, Lauren Arellano, and Elisa Delgado add donated canned food items to the San Diego Food Bank collection bins.