Let it go

About once a year I get this email from the Northwestern University Library:

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Dear CHRISTINE F LIN:

The following is a summary of your outstanding fines/fees as of the above date. THIS IS NOT AN OVERDUE NOTICE. However, this summary includes fines assessed for both returned and unreturned items.

Payments for the following item should be made at the location listed below.

Location: MAIN Circulation Desk (Evanston)
Title: Other America : poverty in the United States / by Michael Harrington ; with a new introduction by Irving Howe.
Fine/Fee Date: 2/19/2006
Description: Overdue
Fine/Fee Balance: $1.00

DEADLINE + GRADUATION: If fines are not paid by December 5th, 2008, an additional $10.00 fee may be applied, and the total reported to Student Accounts. Non-payment of fines will prevent graduates from receiving transcripts. It will NOT prevent graduation.

Total of all Fines and Fees: $1.00
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After giving Northwestern freaking $270,000, they're hounding me 2.5 years later for ONE DOLLAR. ONE DOLLAR!

Back in 2006, I was working on a American history project on homelessness in San Francisco. I had this book out for a while and kept renewing it until the day I received an email from the library telling me to return it ASAP because another student wanted to check it out. I turned it in the next day, which was apparently 1 day too late because apparently, you're supposed to run out the instant the email lands in your inbox to return the book. I always return my books on time, and IMHO that was no exception. So, Northwestern, I'm afraid I won't be going up to Evanston to pay you the dollar I don't think I owe you.