Library book hog?

• Author: Cohen, Randy
• Position: THE ETHICIST - Brief article

My library book is due today, but I haven't finished it yet. I can't renew it, because the library put it on hold for someone else. I'm willing to pay the penalty of 25 cents a day so I can keep reading. May I do that, or must I return the book?--Rachel Bucci, Salem, Oregon

YOU MUST return the book on time. That 25-cent charge isn't a rental fee but an incentive to return the book promptly. The fact that the fee isn't high enough to provide a proper incentive-say, $25 a day-doesn't give you the freedom to hang on to a popular book past its due date. Similarly, the...