An anonymous reader quotes a report from NPR: The largest public library system in the country has become the latest to eliminate all late fees. Effective immediately, the New York Public Library system will not charge fines on overdue materials, and all library card holders have had their accounts cleared of any prior late fees or fines, including replacement fees for lost materials, the NYPL announced on Tuesday, in what it called a change intended to level the playing field for all library patrons and encourage use of library resources. Fines are “an antiquated, ineffective way to encourage patrons to return their books; for those who can afford the fines, they are barely an incentive,” New York Public Library President Anthony W. Marx said in a news release. “For those who can’t afford the fines — disproportionately low-income New Yorkers — they become a real barrier to access that we can no longer accept. This is a step towards a more equitable society, with more New Yorkers reading and using libraries, and we are proud to make it happen.” The Boston Public Library system implemented similar policies in April. California’s Burbank Public Library also recently announced that it would no longer charge late fees and wiped all patron accounts clean.
A couple years ago the San Diego Public Library scrapped fines, along with the Chicago Public Library. “After the policy change, Chicago public libraries saw an increase in returned materials as well as library card renewals,” reports NPR, citing a previous report.
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