an informal poll of followers of a library think tank facebook page showed that most librarians are not in favor of collecting late fines. Of the 526 who expressed an opinion, 72% opposed, 14% were in favor, and the remaining 14% believed that fines should be waived only for materials for children or adolescents.
why go without fines? A growing number of library professionals argue that the collection of overdue fines undermines the library’s mission to provide free and equitable access to information so that all citizens can become educated. they argue that fines are a barrier to access, especially for low-income families, and can create adversarial relationships between patrons and library staff members. What’s worse, patrons who are embarrassed by their late fines or financially unable to pay them may stop using the library altogether.
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Sarah Houghton, director of the San Rafael Public Library in California, tells American libraries that the fines are especially daunting for “those in the community who would benefit most from library services.” she argues that the role of the library is not to teach personal responsibility, as some might suggest, but to “encourage lifelong learning, exploration, and innovation.”
dawn wacek, youth services librarian at la crosse public library in wisconsin, agrees. In his 2018 Ted Talk, A Librarian’s Case Against Overdue Book Fines, Wacek says that libraries support their communities by promoting early literacy among children of all socioeconomic levels and by offering enrichment programs, job skills training, and resources to help start businesses. she believes that collecting fines counteracts this good work. Some libraries are allowing patrons to “read” their fines or donate canned goods in exchange for waivers of late fees, but Wacek says this alternative doesn’t help patrons who struggle with literacy or rely on food pantries.
“why would we continue to operate under a model that harms our most vulnerable customers?” Wacek asks. “If our libraries are truly for everyone, they have to get rid of fines. books have power, information has power. And for the powerless in our communities, being able to connect to that is even more important.”
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These views are now shared by the American Library Association (ALA). At its mid-winter 2019 meeting in January, the wing passed a resolution calling library monetary fines “a form of social inequity” and urging libraries to “examine their practices of imposing fines on library users and actively move to remove them.”
As your library reviews its policy on monetary fines, here are two ideas for minimizing the impact on patrons in the short term:
- hold an amnesty period choose a day, week, or month when patrons can return borrowed materials, no matter how long they’ve had them, and avoid paying an amnesty penalty fee. an amnesty period can be a great way to recover materials for your collection. In early 2017, the San Francisco Public Library entered into a six-week amnesty period, waiving fees for books, CDs, DVDs, and other materials. At the end of the period, the library recovered nearly 700,000 copies in arrears, of which 12,246 were more than 60 days past due. a return, a collection of short stories, was 100 years overdue! in total, the value of the items returned was nearly $236,000.
- offer penalty waivers to patrons who share valuable feedback want to offer new programming? launching a new library website? recruit patrons to share their thoughts and opinions in exchange for fines. the library at st. john fisher college developed a pilot project in which students with overdue fines tested the usability of the library’s new website in exchange for fine waivers. the project was a success and resulted in a positive customer service experience.
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