For the first time, University Library is donating the revenue from fines it receives in the last weeks of the quarter to a charitable cause.
The initiative, “Fines for the Foundation,” will be giving the money received from all fines paid between May 14 and June 8 to the Henrietta Lacks Foundation. The nonprofit organization was founded by Rebecca Skloot, author of “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks,” this year’s One Book One Northwestern selection.
The circulation desks at the Main, Mudd, Schaffner, Math and Music libraries are all accepting fines for this effort, according to the library website.
According to the Henrietta Lacks Foundation’s website, its goal is to provide financial assistance to needy individuals who have meaningfully contributed to scientific research as subjects without garnering any personal benefits in return. Descendants of these subjects may also be awarded aid from the Foundation.
Beth Clausen, University Library’s head of access services, said the initiative recognizes Skloot and the Lacks family for helping to “enrich the campus experience” through the book. The initiative also provides another way for the library to partake in One Book One Northwestern and help people contribute to the Foundation, she said.
“It was a uniquely library way to participate,” Clausen said.
Alice Tippit, the circulation services supervisor at NU’s main library, said it is still too early to gauge the initiative’s success. Normally, the main circulation desk collects about $50 in fine payments per day, she said in an email, but this tends to increase as the year draws to a close.
“This is the best time of year to do it,” Tippit said. “People are graduating or they’re going away for the summer, and so they’re kind of settling their account at the library.”
Tippit said she hopes the initiative encourages patrons to pay their fines but that the library is not aiming to donate a specific amount of money to the Foundation.
“We don’t have a goal in mind of how much we want,” she said. “Based on our previous experience at this time of year, I don’t see any reason why we won’t be able to do the same or if not better (than in prior years).”
Clausen said she does not know whether the library will implement any other fine-donating initiatives in the future. For the past two years, it has organized the Food for Fines drive, which entails waiving part of a patron’s fines in exchange for donations of nonperishable food items, which the library gives to the Greater Chicago Food Depository, Tippit said.
One Book One Northwestern Project Coordinator Nancy Cunniff said the “Fines for the Foundation” initiative was ultimately the library’s idea.
“It’s really great that the University’s interested in participating in something like this, and I think the Henrietta Lacks Foundation is a really worthy cause,” Cunniff said. “It’s a great tie-in to the book this year.”
Bienen senior Mira Luxion said her $20 fine went toward the Foundation when she paid for two overdue books Friday.
“If I’m going to have to pay fines anyways, it might as well be donated,” she said.
Clausen said she hopes fine-paying students will acknowledge the initiative’s effort.
“Maybe it will kind of lessen the pain of paying fines a little bit if they know that it’s going to a charity,” Clausen said.
