Campus libraries offer an alternative to paying cash for late fines that also benefits the Akron-Canton Food Bank, with food as an accepted form of payment.

Through Sunday, April 5, the university accepts nonperishable food items as a payment for late book and laptop fees. Through collaboration with the Akron-Canton Food Bank, the university and law libraries put together the semi-annual Food for Fines event, where items brought in to the library are donated to the food bank. This is the university’s continuing effort to contribute to Akron-Canton Food Bank’s Harvest for Hunger Campaign for over a decade. Since the collaboration with the food bank, Akron has donated over 20,000 pounds of food.

“It’s always a really rewarding experience for the library staff and our students to see the piles of donations growing and knowing that it’s all going to help people in our community,” said Stephanie Dawson Everett, coordinator of this event.

Each food item brought in equals a dollar’s worth in book fines, with no limit on how many nonperishable items students can bring in. Books checked out from the library originally are a $.10 fee per day, and books from OhioLINK and SearchOhio libraries are a $.50 late fee per day.

Food products are not acceptable payment for billed or lost items.

Students with no outstanding fines to the library are also encouraged to support this drive and bring in food to help the Harvest for Hunger Campaign.

“This is a great cause. I’m glad the libraries get creative in their involvement with the food drive,” said Taylor Marshall, junior english major.

There are food drop off bins at Bierce Library, the Science and Technology Library, and the Law Library and again this event continues through April 5.