Library fines used to cover the cost to mail return reminders for overdue books.
As the postage cost went up, so did the fines, for a while at least.
“Costs changed at some point, and they never increased the fines,” said Virginia Roberts, Library Director for the Rhinelander District Library.
She says fines don’t add up to much these days. Late fines had been steadily decreasing in the last ten years and represent less than one quarter of one percent of the library’s annual operating budget.
They can end up doing more harm than good.
“To be perfectly honest, it was a barrier. People are embarrassed. ‘Oh my gosh, I returned a book, you know, six days late, and they've never forgotten the fine.’ That's not us,” said Roberts. “It's a good sign of a library user that, yes, you are occasionally fined. I can tell you that I regularly support the library with fines, but that's not what those fines are for.”
There are sometimes concerns that if there’s no fine, even a low one, there’s not that extra motivation to return books on-time.
But that hasn’t been the case for other libraries that have made the switch to fine-free.
Chicago Public Library saw a 240% increase in returned books in the month after it eliminated fines.
Salt Lake City’s Public Library had its late returns drop from 9% to 4%.
The Rhinelander District Library eliminated fines for children’s books in 2019 and hasn’t had any major issues.
“We don't want the kids ever to feel like there's a barrier to their reading. We don't want their parents to think there's a barrier to them getting books to teach their kids to read. So that's where we started, and it's worked out great,” said Roberts.
Roberts says the transition to get the library fine free took about a year.
Old fines have also been eliminated from many accounts which Roberts says has been a pleasant surprise for some patrons.
“We call it their lucky day. Frankly, if you really want to give us money, the donation box is conveniently located on each desk,” said Roberts. “Some people do, some people don't. If you really need your money, you don't have to give it over. The whole point of fine free is that you can use the library. You have paid your taxes, and here we are.”
There will still be some fines on things like electronic equipment and items that are on loan from other libraries.
People will also need to pay if they lose or damage items.
But if you find yourself in those situations, Roberts encourages you to talk with her or one of the librarians.
“None of this is ever meant to be a punishment. We just need people to check in with us if they've got some of those things,” said Roberts.
