This week, the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) announced they are doing away with any and all late fees this year, beginning on January 10th.
They are also wiping the slate clean for all library card holders with current overdue fees on their accounts.
In a media release, the GVPL said they are doing this in order to bring more people through their doors and remove barriers for people wanting to be a part of their community.
“Eliminating overdue fines removes a significant barrier and increases access to the critical library services people count on,” said Andrew Appleton, GVPL Board Chair.
“The cornerstone of our library’s mission is to build community and support literacy and lifelong learning. We hope that anyone who was not using the library because of an outstanding fine, or the fear of accruing fines, will feel welcome to visit once again.”
See also:
- This upcoming award ceremony celebrates influential women on Vancouver Island
- Belfry Theatre cancels controversial play told from Israeli perspective amid rising tensions
The GVPL says that late fees can create feelings of shame or embarrassment if a client cannot finish a book on time, and can often lead to those individuals avoiding the library.
Late fees can also lead to financial barriers to those who wish to read more, but don’t have money to spare if the book goes overdue. In this case, people who have late books will sometimes refrain from returning them at all.
“We trust our community to care for the library’s collection and to return items when they are due,” Maureen Sawa, CEO, GVPL.
“The decision to go fine free is about fostering a culture of inclusivity. Becoming a fine-free library will help ensure everyone in our community has equal access to the resources they need,” she added.
Sawa says that with the rising popularity of eBooks and digital resources in combination with leniency that came along with COVID-19 saw late fee revenue decreasing every year anyway, so GVPL is embracing inclusivity by doing away with the fees entirely.
The GVPL says that overdue fines contributed just 1.2% to their revenue in 2019—the last full year they collected overdue fines—and just 0.3% in 2022.
Going forward, the only fees library users will have to pay will be lost or damaged item fees. The GVPL says that items gone more than 21 days will be considered lost.
These late fees will vary depending on the item which is considered lost. If a long-overdue book which is considered lost is returned, the lost item fee will also be wiped from the account.
 announced they are doing away with any and all late fees this year, beginning on January 10th. ){kind=link}