People who can afford overdue fees and penalties misread the national movement to eliminate library fines, arguing it rewards irresponsibility and encourages people to stop returning books on time.
Those arguments sound reasonable but they’re off-base: Fees and penalties erect barriers for poor people — those most in need of public libraries — and don’t act as a significant deterrent to those who can easily pay them. This is textbook inequity.
Thankfully, one of the latest library systems to abandon overdue fees is the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. Following a 2019 pilot program, all 19 branches countywide have wiped out past overdue fees and stopped charging fines for overdue items.
We applaud the Carnegie system for a thoughtful rollout of a program designed to benefit all residents, especially the more vulnerable.
Libraries have become far more than book repositories. They offer eBooks and movies. They provide free computer and internet access, something many take for granted but not everyone enjoys. Libraries provide technology workshops and small business support. The list goes on.
The Allegheny County Library Association, which includes the Carnegie system in its 46 affiliates, launched a fine-free pilot program in 2019 that resulted, almost immediately, in significant increases in circulation, applications for library cards and event participation. Three Carnegie libraries participated in that pilot.
Now, 26 library systems are fine free, with two more expected to on-board later this year, reports ACLA CEO Amy Anderson.
Fines make up less than 1% of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's operating budget, and the system saw increased donations in response to the no-fine program. (It'll still charge a fee for lost or damaged items.) Revenue from fines has largely shrunk around the country, anyway, owing to expanding electronic materials, which check themselves back in at the end of their borrowing periods.
In a Jan. 22 letter to the Post-Gazette, Ms. Anderson rightly noted: "Taking a little longer to return a book should never feel like a crime."
Fines are an inequitable tool for monitoring use. Removing them altogether is the right move. The ACLA's remaining locations should follow suit.
First Published: March 17, 2022, 4:15 a.m.
