As a book lover and procrastinator, I have paid a decent amount of late fees to my local library. I once held onto a book for three whole months — even though I had already finished it!
I always tell myself that I am supporting a wonderful public resource to make myself feel better about my inability to return books on time. What I don’t always recognize is how lucky I am to be able to comfortably pay those fees. Otherwise, I would lose my ability to use the library’s resources.
An Incentive To Return Materials
In 2017, about 92 percent of libraries in the U.S. charge late fees, with 98 percent of large libraries (serving over 100,000 people) charging fees.
There are good reasons for these fees. They can serve as an incentive to return materials. They remind users of their responsibility to their libraries, and encourage us to not take these amazing resources for granted.
But late fees may not be a great incentive after all. For those who can comfortably pay fees, the supposed incentive may not factor much into when a book is returned. Dawn Wacek from Wisconsin’s La Crosse Public Library said that “for the most part, libraries are finding that their materials are coming back right on time or the same amount of lateness as previously” after eliminating fines.
Sometimes fines even discourage returns. People who have amassed a lot of fees and are unable to pay them may simply not return materials. And libraries that stopped late fees have seen an increase in returns.
When the Chicago Public Library (CPL) eliminated fines, there was a 240% increase in the return of library resources during the first three fine-free weeks. In 2017, San Francisco Public Library set up a loan forgiveness period where almost 700,000 items were returned and more than 5,000 cardholders regained their borrowing privileges.
For those that are still concerned, it’s important to realize that eliminating fines doesn’t eliminate all incentive to return materials. People can only check out a certain number of books and must return them before checking out more. Eliminating fees only eliminates the financial aspect.
How Late Fees Contribute To A Library’s Budget
People argue that fees can make up a large part of a library’s budget. In 2018, Jenny Paxson from the Webster Public Library in New York talked about the importance of library fees to her library: “We use the funds—$71,000 collected from fines annually—as part of our operating budget. Without them, it would be difficult to run the library.”
This is a legitimate concern that has to be addressed on an individual basis. However, for the most part, the contribution fines make to a library’s overall budget is overstated.
Dawn Wacek from Wisconsin’s La Crosse Public Library, which eliminated fees in 2018, said that, before that decision, money from fines made up about 1% of their annual budget, or $70,000.
Before San Diego Public Library eliminated fines, their analysis found that collecting late fees cost more than what they got. They estimated it cost $1 million to collect fees while they made $675,000 in fees.
Late Fees Affect Low-Income Communities The Most
What may be seen as a small punishment by some can turn into the loss of one of a great resource for others. I would rather not pay $20, but I absolutely can. To others, $20 is a lot and is desperately needed for other things.
NPR tells the story of Diana Ramirez, who wasn’t able to use her library for almost a decade because of fees. She owed the San Diego Public Library $30 and didn’t have the financial means to pay it. She lost the ability to use its resources that she otherwise didn’t have access to — books and a computer.
This instance is not unique — it occurs all over the country to millions of people.
Before CPL eliminated late fees, one in three cardholders from the South Side, communities that are generally poorer and made up of more people of color, lost the ability to use the library because they surpassed the maximum owed fee limit. On the North Side, that number went down to one in six. In San Diego, 40% of cardholders in low-income communities couldn’t use the library because of fees.
The sad truth is that fines are hurting those who need their library’s resources the most.
The Solution
I can’t say that every library should immediately implement a fine-free system — that would be foolish. Every library has different needs and serves different communities. However, I encourage all libraries to research the benefits and disadvantages of their late fees.
When talking about CPL’s elimination of fees, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said, “The bold reforms we’re taking … will end the regressive practices disproportionately impacting those who can least afford it, ensure every Chicagoan can utilize our city’s services and resources, and eliminate the cycles of debt and generational poverty because of a few mistakes.”
Lightfoot’s comments embody the very reason libraries exist. Libraries are founded on the idea that everyone deserves access to books and knowledge. Fines go against that principle by hindering low-income communities from accessing these resources. Libraries have a responsibility to their communities to look into reforming late-fee systems — they may be harming communities without doing much good.
Read More:
Book Banning in 21st Century America: How is This Still Happening
The Success of Independent Bookstores in the Age of Amazon
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