This year, Food for Fines will run from February 17–March 9. That’s three full weeks to bring in food donations while reducing or clearing your library fines.

For every non-perishable food item donated, participating Novanet libraries* will reduce your library fine by $2, to a maximum of $50. All food donations will be given to the Dalhousie Student Union Food Bank, Feed Nova Scotia, and the Colchester Food Bank (for items collected at the MacRae Library on the Agricultural Campus).

Bring your donations of canned goods or other non-perishable foods to the front desk at any of the Dalhousie Libraries during open hours. We accept cash as well, and you can make contributions even if you don’t owe book fines. By donating to the Food for Fines campaign we will waive overdue fines, but not charges for lost items.

Wondering what to bring? Feed Nova Scotia has a list of recommended items.

Last year, the Dalhousie Libraries waived $528.36 in fines, collected 339 food items and $155.25 in cash donations. Across Novanet, which includes all university and college libraries in Nova Scotia, a total of 1,113 food items were collected, as well as $308.25 in cash donations.

We hope to increase the number of food items donated this year by extending the time of the campaign from 10 days to three weeks.

*Food for Fines is an initiative of the libraries at Dalhousie University, Mount St. Vincent University, University of King’s College, Cape Breton University, Atlantic School of Theology, St. Francis Xavier University, Saint Mary’s University, I’Université Sainte Anne, NSCAD University, and the Nova Scotia Community Colleges