Important news if you’re a regular borrower through Sonoma County Library: Effective July 1, SCL will no longer charge late-fees for materials that are not returned on time. (The library will continue to charge for lost, or damaged, items.)
More than 80,000 people currently owe overdue-fines to the library, according to a recent article in the Press Democrat. SCL is hoping that, by eliminating overdue fines, former library patrons will be encouraged to return without fear of hefty fees.
This move by SCL is part of a nationwide “fine-free” trend among public libraries, in recognition that fines can pose barriers — especially to low-income families — to access resources through the library.
It’s interesting to note that financial impact for the library is expected to be small; the article quotes Ray Holley, a library spokesman, stating that late and lost books account for less than 1 percent of the library’s total revenue each year. According to Holley, it costs SCL more to collect fines than what the library makes from them.
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