Should Fox River Valley Libraries Stop Charging Fines For Late Materials?
The Fox River Valley Libraries calls it a “long overdue” survey.
The Library District, which serves 70,000 residents of Carpentersville, East Dundee, West Dundee, Sleepy Hollow, Gilberts, and parts of Algonquin, is asking patrons their opinion on whether the district should stop charging fines for late materials.
District officials are, in fact, laying out a case for stopping the fines.
“Library fines create a barrier to library materials, services, and electronic resources,” officials say on the FRVL website. “At the very least, it is an inconvenience for busy people who would appreciate a few extra days to return their materials without incurring late fees. When fines reach $10, patrons are blocked from using their cards, and often this includes residents who most need library materials and resources.”
The practice also is trending.
Nationwide, many libraries have eliminated late fees for overdue materials, including the Algonquin Area Public Library, which borders the Fox River Valley district.
Survey Says!
Survey totals as of 3 p.m. Wednesday (May 1, 2019).
Library officials are asking patrons to visit a special page on the library’s website to learn more about how this would affect the budget and patrons, and how it would work.
There is also short survey for patrons to provide feedback. The link is https://www.frvpld.info/fine_free_survey.
So far, patrons are strongly backing the “fine-free” idea. As of 3 p.m. Wednesday, the count was 69 in favor of stopping a charge for late fees, while 10 people voted to keep the late-fee charge. As you can see by the graphic above, that’s 87.3 percent to 12.7 percent.
How It Would Work
Under the no-fine system, each item still has a due date. Cardholders are responsible for honoring the due date but have a “grace period” after the due date to return their items.
If items still have not been returned by the end of the grace period, the account will be blocked and the cardholder will not be able to check out any more materials. Once the items are returned, the block is removed from the cardholder’s account.
Patrons will still be responsible for paying the replacement cost of lost or damaged materials under that system.
How The Library Benefits
Officials say eliminating fines provides a grace period for people who need a little more time to finish their book, watch their DVD, or just get to the library to make their due date. The library should be a welcoming environment, whereas fines can be guilt-inducing and even stressful.
Patrons who owe more than $10 in fines are blocked. This means they cannot check out physical materials or access digital content. Eliminating late fees would remove this barrier, and welcome back patrons who haven’t visited the library because they couldn’t pay their overdue fine.
Often, these are the folks who need the library most.It’s also easier for staff members. Sending overdue notices and working with patrons face-to-face to resolve fines is time-consuming.
Eliminating fines would allow library staff to spend their time on hosting storytimes and other programs, finding and recommending materials, answering reference questions, and troubleshooting technology issues.
SOURCE: Fox River Valley Libraries news release and website
