Food Replaces Fines at Kirkwood Library

Emily Frohner, Stack Maintenance Manager at , is very proud this week. She’s proud to work in a library during National Library Week — a celebration around the country for libraries of any size or specialty in honor of the contributions they make. But mostly she’s proud of Food for Fines, a program she researched and proposed to the Library Board of Trustees that members unanimously agreed to try this week. 

In lieu of monetary payments for overdue fines, the library is accepting donations of canned food from library patrons until Saturday. Acceptable donations include canned food items that are in good shape, which have not expired and are not in a glass container. Each can is worth $1 and patrons can pay up to $15 of overdue fines with donated food. 

Food donations collected will benefit Kirk Care, a Kirkwood food pantry and financial assistance organization. “This is a great time of year for a food drive because Kirk Care is low on food right now,” Frohner said. “Cash donations will also be accepted for Kirk Care.”

Frohner was familiar with a similar program at the Jefferson County Public Library. “Their program is very successful, they run it every month. The people of Kirkwood are into causes so I thought we should give it a try. We’re very happy with the results and we’re getting materials back that may not have been returned.”

Lois Bliss, a Trustee on the library board added, “Emily’s idea is simply wonderful. (It's a) win-win for everybody and helps with a really needed public service.”