Among the many things it would be embarrassing to admit being imprisoned for is for not returning a library book on time. I know many people that would be shocked to hear that this is even possible, much less that the punishment is this harsh but this truly is a law.
That’s right, in Salt Lake City, Utah a person can be imprisoned for one month for not returning a library book. The specifics are that injuring, destroying, or failing to return library books is prohibited with this severe penalty.
I know that at this point such a law seems a bit like overkill, especially with the extremely “flexible” terms here at Penn State. After all, it is a little hard to imagine such a thing occurring when the on-campus library here allows you to have out up to 200 books at a time due only at the end of each school year, no matter when they’re borrowed. But, I guess they really take their library books and return policies seriously in Utah since it is punishable with fines and jail-time.
The real law states that “It is unlawful for any person to fail to return ANY book, pamphlet, or property of the Free Public Library within 5 days of the receipt of a notice from the librarian thereof, demanding the return of such property. Any person violating any provision of this chapter is guilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be punished by a fine of $100, imprisonment in the county jail not to exceed one month, OR BOTH!
So basically, for anyone planning to move to Utah or for those that already do or maybe even for people just passing through, you NEVER, EVER want to forget to return the books you’ve borrowed and if you receive a notice such as mentioned above it would probably be a good idea to find anything you took and return it with all possible haste.
It'd be interesting to know if this law is actually still enforced? I once kept forgetting to return a library book I used for a research paper on Italian fascism and the small 50 cent fees eventually added up to the price of the hardcover text itself... I still have it in my room at home with the plastic cover. Good thing I don't live in Salt Lake City.
ReplyDeleteThis might be one of he most ridiculous laws I've seen yet! I think most people have forgotten to turn a book in on time every once and a while with a small fine attached to it, but $100? I think you'd have to do something really bad to that book if you were put in prison..
ReplyDeleteI think I'd be in jail for my entire life for all the library books I've never returned... I'm surprised I was admitted to Penn State because in 8th grade I borrowed a ton of books from the Abington campus for a history project and never returned them. I'm no longer welcome at that library.
ReplyDeleteI still have the books I used for our Arthurian legends paper. I keep on forgetting to return them. Thanks penn state for not putting me in jail
ReplyDeleteThis is a little severe punishment... I guess it must have originated when libraries had fewer books or funds and needed all of them returned on time to maintain their meager collections.
ReplyDeleteIf I went to jail for this, I would try and act as hard as I possobly could in jail. It would be really funny if they made you the librarian in jail if you got put away for this.
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