JACKSON HOLE, WYO – Do you owe the library overdue fines? For a limited time, the library will accept a can of beans or other non-perishable food in lieu of cash.
As the season of giving approaches, Teton County Library aims to give back to library patrons who give for the good of the community. Through the month of November, library cardholders may pay off their overdue fines for library materials by bringing non-perishable food items to the library’s Front and Youth desks to be donated to the Jackson Cupboard. Items brought to the Alta Branch Library will be donated to the Teton Valley Food Pantry.
The amnesty program applies only to late fines and does not include fees for lost or damaged library materials or other library fees, such as the interlibrary loan fee.
Food donations may include sealed, store-purchased jars, cans or pastas. The Jackson Cupboard, located on the campus of St. John’s Episcopal Church, provides essential and nutritious food for community members in need. The library has been partnering with St. John’s Episcopal Church and the Cupboard since 2013 to offer free, nutritious snacks daily to children at the library after school and during the summer.
“We like to offer our amnesty program during the off-season as an appreciative gesture to the community,” said Jessica Johnson, the library’s interim adult services manager. “It creates a nice circle of locals helping locals.”
Last year during Food for Fines, the Jackson Branch collected 969 items weighing 1,016 pounds The Alta Branch collected 166 items weighing 175 pounds, plus one case of ramen.
