Been longing for a good book to read but avoiding the library because of overdue fines?

If that’s the case, you’re in luck.

Athens-Limestone Public Library is offering patrons a chance to clear overdue fines while also helping the less fortunate in the community.

With the Food for Fines program, which runs Saturday, Feb. 11 through Saturday, Feb. 18, those with outstanding library fines can make food donations in lieu of those fines.

Library Director Susan Todd said she and her staff decided to hold the food drive in preparation for installation of a new library automation system.

“In order to make the transfer easier we thought we’d first clear out the system,” Todd said.

The new system will mean all cataloging and circulation tracking will be handled in-house.

“We’ve been a member of a consortium (Library Management of Decatur) with a shared automation system,” Todd said. “We applied for a federal grant for this new system and we were approved.”

Todd said the $60,000 grant, along with some matching funds from the library board, will provide for purchase of the Polaris library automation system. With Polaris, library staff will be able to track all circulation and overdue fines and do cataloguing.

“We’ll also be able to do e-mail notification when someone has an overdue item,” Todd said. “Now we’re doing them all on paper by mail.”

One change she said patrons may notice is in doing a search for library materials.

“When we look up items in the catalog it will only show our items,” she said. Previously, items from all libraries in the consortium came up in a catalog search.

The change will also help keep the library running more efficiently since procedures will be handled in-house rather than through the consortium.

“If we need to make changes we can do them immediately,” she said. “We don’t have to submit the information and then wait for the changes.”

The new system will also enable library staff to do statistical tracking of which items are more popular. This, Todd said, will help determine what new items the library purchases.

“We can do our buying according to what’s wanted in the community,” she said. “This system will even issue alerts for us when a certain number of people are on the waiting list for a certain book, so we can order more copies if necessary.”

The new Polaris system will likely be in place at the library by late spring, Todd said.

As she and her staff prepare for the transition, they hope everyone with overdue fines will take advantage of the opportunity to clear their library records.

Beginning Saturday, Feb. 11, patrons can clear fines of up to $20 by bringing in one food item for each dollar in fines.

“We can’t give credit for books that are lost or damaged,” Todd said. “But they can bring in enough food to clear $20 in fines.”

All food collected will be donated to the Athens-Limestone Food and Shelter Program, which operates from the United Way office at 419 S. Marion Street in Athens.

For credit toward fines, items must be brought to the library at 405 E. South St. Only non-perishable, undamaged, unopened, unexpired, labeled items will be accepted.

For more information call the library at 232-1233.