By EMILY SPARACINO / Staff Writer

CHELSEA – Those who have outstanding fines at the Chelsea Public Library may have them waived this month in exchange for canned food donations.

The library will offer “fines amnesty” for Chelsea Public Library fines during the week of Nov. 9 to people who bring in a minimum of two non-perishable food items for a local food bank.

“It applies to only our fines,” Chelsea Public Library Director Dana Polk said. “It does not apply to replacement costs or other library fines.”

Those who have “large” fines are urged to consider the amounts when determining how many food items to bring, and families that have children’s accounts with fines should consider them separate accounts and bring at least two items per account, according to a library weekly email.

All food items will be donated to Heavenly Smile, a non-profit food ministry based in Chelsea.

The library’s food drive comes a couple of weeks before Thanksgiving.

“We want to do something in November toward Thanksgiving,” Polk said. “I thought we can involve everybody with a food drive … just a spirit of giving.”

The library collected 80 pounds of food this summer for the food bank.

“It would be nice to try to top that,” Polk said.