By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Sep 07, 2008 at 5:16 AM

At the end of August, a Grafton woman was handcuffed and arrested by police for not paying her library fines of $177. Prior to her arrest, she received two statements and two phone calls from the library, but she did not return "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown or "White Oleander" by Janet Fitch. The books were a year overdue.

Following this arrest, the Sheboygan library system asked police to get involved, and charge anyone with a fine over $77 with an additional fine or jail time.

What are your thoughts on this? Should people who don't return their library books have the book thrown at them, or is this making a crime out of something that's not?

Yes, the police should get involved. If you borrow materials, and don't return them, it's stealing. Period. Plus, library systems struggle like all non-profits and government departments, and if people do not return their materials and pay their fines, there is a chance the libraries could cease to exist someday. Involving police ensures that the libraries will remain open for years to come.

No, the police should not get involved. The library system is based on lending and trust, two concepts that rarely exist in establishments open to the public. Involving the police tarnishes the positive, community-oriented message of public libraries, not to mention, it's a complete waste of police officers' time. They should spend their time preventing and addressing real crimes.