Beginning January 1, 2019 the Spring Green Community Library no longer charges overdue fines on materials that are returned late. This applies to all items checked out at the Spring Green Community Library. Please note, items checked out at other libraries may still accrue overdue fines, and charges for items that are damaged or lost will still apply.
Why are we doing this?
- Fines disproportionately affect low-income families and create a barrier to using the library.
- Research shows no difference in overdue rates between libraries charging fines and libraries not charging fines.
- The library incurs expenses to collect fines including staff time handling fine disputes, fine collection, and billing postage.
- Fear of accumulating fines stops some people from using the library or causes them to limit checkouts.
- Fines don’t serve our goal of supporting a vibrant and literate community with access to a wide array of materials.
If you haven’t been in for a while, we’d like to see you again! And if you really love paying fines – we’ll gratefully accept donations!
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