Access for everyone
Laurinda Thomas, Manager Libraries & Community Spaces, says “We want everyone to have fair and easy access to information, reading, and learning through our libraries.
“Overdue fines have disproportionately affected those who cannot afford to pay. There are families who have stopped borrowing items due to the fear of running up even small fines which they cannot afford.
“However, the core of our library vision is access for everyone, and removing fines will increase the number of customers who are able to use our libraries – it’s as simple as that!
“With our new fines free policy, we look forward to welcoming back customers who may have stopped using the library due to previous fines,” she says.
Encouraging return of items
A common assumption was that fines were a motivator for returning items to the library, but evidence from libraries which have implemented fines free policies revealed that the return rates were the same or better than when charging fines.
“There was a customer perception that they will ‘get in trouble’ for returning items that are overdue. In fact, some libraries have seen a significant increase in returned books after they eliminated overdue fines. People were more likely to return items in the long run,” says Laurinda Thomas.
More information on the new fines free policy can be found at Wellington City Libraries.