FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – The Allen County Public Library announced it is doing away with overdue fines and fees for all ACPL cardholders.
Approved by the Library’s Board of Trustees at its December 15 meeting, effective January 3, 2023 ACPL will erase all fines and fees from the accounts of its patrons. In addition, cardholders will no longer accumulate fines and fees for overdue materials.
Those cardholders will continue to be responsible for fees related to lost or damaged library materials. In recent years, libraries across the country have embraced fine-free policies as a key tool to remove barriers. According to the Library Journal’s “2022 Fines and Fees Survey”, the percentage of U.S. libraries charging fines has decreased steadily over the last five years. In 2017, 92% of libraries charged fines.
Today, that number is only 36%. “What the data shows us is that although fees may seem like a small burden, they actually create significant barriers to access,” said ACPL Executive Director Susan Baier. “Overdue fines, regardless of their amount, force us to prioritize fee collection over patron service. I applaud our board for taking this bold action to ensure library access to the all members of our community.”
The ACPL tested the theory over the last year with its Fine Free for Minors policy that took effect January 3, 2022. After tracking data, the ACPL saw significant increases in youth using the library and checking out materials. In its first year, the number of young patrons checking out materials grew by 151%, and the number of items checked out by those youth totaled nearly 199,000 (an increase of 181% year over year).
The policy change brought new patrons to the library with an increase of more than 2000 youth cardholders from 2021 to 2022 and a 75% decrease in the number of blocked youth accounts. “The success we saw with Fine Free for Minors made it clear that our community wants our services, but shame and an inability to pay are very real challenges that many cannot overcome,” said Baier. “Now our patrons can walk through the doors, take advantage of the materials, make use of their tax dollars at work, and avoid the shame of overdue fines.”
ACPL representatives released the following:
The ACPL is not alone in this endeavor. More than 80 Indiana public libraries are already fine free and peer libraries report no significant increase in late returns or need for replacement copies. Indeed, the ACPL has also noted no increase in number of replacement copies for youth materials after implementing Fine Free for Minors.
“The ACPL is the ‘peoples’ palace’, said Ben Eisbart, ACPL Board Chair. “After researching the data and checking with other libraries throughout the state and country, we are confident that removing barriers to our wonderful collection, not only fulfills our mission of lifelong learning; but does so in the big picture with minimal fiscal impact.”
Over the years, overdue fines have consistently decreased to the point where they provide minimal impact to the Library’s bottom line. In 2022, these fees are projected to amount to just over one-half of 1% of the Library’s revenue budget and have experienced an almost 70% decrease over the past 10 years.
Library cardholders do not need to take action to erase existing fines and fees related to overdue items. Those will be cleared from accounts at start of business January 3. Fines and fees related to lost or damaged items will remain in place.
For more information about the library going fine-free, patrons can call (260) 421-1200 or visit a local ACPL branch.
