By Neil Doyle
BLOOMINGTON – The Bloomington Public Library and Normal Public Library have stopped charging overdue fines.
The new measure was implemented by each library’s board of trustees and goes into effect immediately, according to a news release Wednesday. This means that overdue fines will no longer be charged to patrons who return items late. Overdue fines on all items returned prior to this announcement have been forgiven.
Last year, the American Library Association passed a resolution in which it recognized fines as a “form of social inequity” and called on libraries nationwide to find a way to eliminate them.
“Rather than teaching responsibility or motivating borrowers to return items on time, it has been found that fines act as an inequitable barrier to service, and they disproportionately impact those with limited financial resources,” said Jeanne Hamilton, BPL Director.
“The NPL board decision to remove fines is directly related to our vision for the library. Removing fines is a way to remove barriers for literacy, learning, creativity, and innovation during a time when our patrons may be facing economic challenges and uncertainty,” said Jess Ray, NPL Board President.
To further reduce financial barriers for patrons, the Normal Public Library has removed DVD rental fees.
The removal of overdue fines is not expected to significantly impact either library’s budget. In recent years the collection of overdue fines at both libraries has experienced a downward trend, comprising less than 1% of annual revenue. At NPL, revenues from overdue fines declined from $21,398 in FY17 to $15,030 in FY20. At BPL, these same revenues declined from $45,100 in FY17 to $31,100 in FY20.
Some of this decline can be attributed to the increased popularity of circulating eBooks, eAudiobooks, and streaming movies. These items return automatically and do not generate overdue fines.
Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]
