ST. CHARLES COUNTY, Mo. — The St. Charles City-County Library will no longer charge fines for late materials and customer accounts have been cleared of existing late fines.
“Fine-free status” is now available on all books, DVDs, CDs, eResources, magazines, and materials from the “Library of Things” including cake pans and WiFi hotspots, according to a press release.
“While researching the idea of offering a fine-free library to the community, we discovered that although fines do not represent a significant portion of the Library’s overall budget, they do act as a significant deterrent for those most in need of a library,” said Jason Kuhl, director of the St. Charles City-County Library.
Research shows overdue fines affect children, older adults, disabled and homebound customers and lower-income households, the release stated.
“The Library is committed to serving all customers, whatever their age or economic status,” said Kuhl. “In addition, as COVID-19 has created upheaval in the economy, many are experiencing financial hardship as a result. By eliminating overdue fines, the Library hopes to help alleviate one area of potential financial stress for library customers.”
The library expects to see an increase in the number of new library cards and an increase in the number of materials checked out, based on statistics at other fine-free libraries.
“We actually anticipate that we will have fewer lost items, because customers who were afraid to return a late item will now be able to do so without financial consequences,” said Kuhl.
Customers will still be responsible for returning items and paying for lost or damaged materials. If materials are not returned within 28 days of their due date, they will be considered lost and customers will be responsible for replacement costs.
The library will continue sending notifications and reminders about due dates.
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