Pregnant Mom is 2nd Reader Jailed for Overdue Books

CLEARWATER, Fla. —  A pregnant mother of two spent a day in jail for allegedly ignoring notices from the public library, becoming the second reader in a week to be locked up for overdue books in Pinellas County.

Beverly J. Goldman, 24, said she changed addresses and didn’t receive a single notice from the library or the courts until two detectives showed up at her door Thursday.

Goldman, who is seven months’ pregnant, was arrested on charges of failing to appear in court on seven counts of failing to return overdue library materials.

The detectives let Goldman send her 5-year-old son and 6-year-old daughter off to school before taking her in.

Among the missing materials were children’s books “War and Peas” and “Light in the Attic” and some videos. They were valued at $127.86.

Last week, Jeremy Christian Soder, 19, was jailed in Fort Myers because of overdue notices on about $80 worth of materials checked out from the Clearwater Public Library.

Library director John Szabo said only the worst cases get turned over to the courts. In Goldman’s case, he said the library waited about 16 months.

“We don’t want to put people in jail,” Szabo said. “This is not something the library enjoys doing or even wants to do.”

Goldman spent eight hours in jail, waiting for friends and family to post bail. The whereabouts of the books and videotapes remain a mystery. She said she doesn’t even remember checking out the tapes.

Szabo said the library has agreed to drop the charges because Goldman’s relatives have started paying off the debt.