This Father's Day Friday, Guest Dad Joe Burris is trying to stay on the right side of library law:

On Wednesday, I sent my wife a message about a matter that needed to be attended to right away.

“Do we have any overdue library books out?”

Don’t laugh. I wrote the e-mail after reading that many libraries are now seeking arrest warrants for those who have not turned in overdue items. Some negligent library patrons have indeed been arrested, booked and fingerprinted.

Some have even spent time in jail.

It seems that many libraries across the country are financially strapped because of budget woes and simply don’t have the money to replace books, movies and games that patrons fail to return.

And that’s understandable. If you rent a car, for example, and fail to return it for weeks or months after your contract expires, than that company will likely request that law enforcement take up the matter.

But can you imagine how it must be for such a person to spend time behind bars with other criminals?

Cell mate No. 1: So what did they get you for?
Cell mate No. 2: “Grand Theft Auto.”
Cell mate No. 1: No kidding? What kind of car did you steal?
Cell mate No. 2: No, not a car, the video game. I was more than six months overdue.

I thought what would happen if my 13-year-old daughter got nabbed. Would she be tried as an adult?

Thankfully, my wife replied that we have no overdue books out there. I’m breathing a sigh of relief.

And I hope no one finds out about the ripped tag off the mattress.