Two Sacramento Public Library branches have stopped accepting cash for overdue fines after thieves made off with the money from the two facilities in December.
Patrons of the Arden-Dimick and Rancho Cordova branches, where the thefts occurred, will have to pay online using their credit or debit cards or pay by check in person, library officials said.
Library finance director Vicki Johnson said the measures may be temporary, and officials aren't planning to ban cash payments at the other branches.
But handling the money can be an administrative headache, and the recent capers are prompting other library officials to consider cashless transactions.
"It's a small amount of cash," said Phil Batchelor, interim library director. "It takes a lot of time to account for it, to collect it and to deposit it."
Money at most larger branches is deposited regularly, Johnson said.
As part of the library's reforms, staff at all 27 branches are being trained in cash control and handling procedures, which have been developed during the past few months, Johnson said.
Having a formal policy to safeguard the funds helped library officials respond swiftly to the thefts, Johnson said.
A staff member at the Rancho Cordova branch on Folsom Boulevard came into work on the morning of Dec. 4 and discovered that someone had broken into the safe. About $1,660 in fines and fees were taken, and an additional $370 was taken from the Friends of the Library funds, Johnson said.
The second theft, which was at the Arden-Dimick branch on Watt Avenue, occurred between 5 p.m. Dec. 13 and 7:35 a.m. Dec. 15, Sacramento County sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Tim Curran said.
Johnson said the safe, along with more than $300 in cash, was stolen.
The library also lost about $780 in cash in another heist in June, when money was taken from the bank deposit bag belonging to its Carmichael branch.
"It's a reflection of the lack of morality and the bad economy," said Mary Matsunaga, 70, who was visiting the Arden-Dimick branch on Tuesday. "The library is also an easy target."
Matsunaga has never had to pay a fine, but Tony Hackett, 39, has.
Hackett said not being able to pay by cash would be an inconvenience, since he does not carry his credit cards around often.
Shawnee Dustrud said the no-cash plan is a good idea because it would deter thieves from targeting libraries and making it unsafe for other people to use.
Johnson said that although these thefts may not seem significant, dealing with them puts an excessive demand on vital financial and human resources.
"Like many businesses and private citizens in our area, the library is feeling the strains of these tough economic times," Johnson said. "It's unfortunate that someone would steal from us."
Call The Bee's Chelsea Phua, (916) 321-1132.
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