CAPE GIRARDEAU LIBRARY WILL TRADE FOOD FOR FINES

Book lovers interested in helping the hungry this holiday season can trade donations of food for late fines on overdue materials from the Cape Girardeau Public Library.

This is the third year the library has offered the "amnesty" program, said Candy Heise, a library associate.

The library is accepting canned and dried foods in echange for fines. Each can or box of food is worth 50 cents off a patron's fine, and all food will be donated to FISH to benefit local families.

"We forgive about $200 in fines each year," Heise said. "The donations just apply to fines. They don't apply to replace materials or damaged materials."

The program has already stirred up some interest, she said.

"We've already had one lady call and sk when it would start. She said she'd wait. until it started so she could just bring in some food, because she has about $30 in fine. That's great, because it helps out with FISH."

Fines on library materials are 5 cents per day for books, $1 per day for videotapes and $5 per day for audivisual materials.

For more information, call the Cape Girardeau Public Library at 334-5279.