The fines are ” an outdated and inefficient way to encourage customers to return their books. For those who can afford the fines, they are hardly an incentive “. It is with these words that the president of the New York Public Library, Anthony W. Marx, explains why it was decided to drop the late payment penalties.
A decision that will apply to all three New York City public library systems, the New York Public Library (NYPL), the Brooklyn Public Library and the Queens Public Library. All three systems also wiped all past late payment fines from customer accounts, providing a clean slate for all New Yorkers.
« For those who cannot afford the fines, they become a real barrier to access that we can no longer support. It’s a step towards a more equitable society, with more New Yorkers reading and using libraries, and we’re proud to help. », Adds the president of the great New York institution.
In the system until now, patrons saw their library card blocked if they accumulated more than $ 15 in fines. At the time of the announcement of the end of this system, approximately 400,000 New Yorkers fell into this category – more than half residing in the poorest communities.
In New York’s public library system – which serves Staten Island, Manhattan and the Bronx – households with median incomes below $ 50,000 are six times the number of stranded customers, compared to households with incomes above that threshold.
A revolution in the approach
« This announcement is another important step in making our public libraries, the heart of so many communities, accessible to all », Declared for his part the mayor of the city, Bill de Blasio. ” Eliminating fines will allow us to serve even more New Yorkers, allowing them to take advantage of the resources and programs offered by public libraries to grow and succeed. »
The fine system has been in place at all three libraries since their inception at the turn of the 20th century. But already since March 2020, in the midst of a health crisis, the three library networks had chosen to remove late fines. ” During the pandemic, it was clearer than ever that we lived in two separate cities, with our most vulnerable citizens too often left behind », Recalls the president of the NYPL, Anthony W. Marx.
A decision which nevertheless constitutes a shortfall. In fact, in fiscal year 2019, library systems, for example, collected around $ 3.2 million in late fine revenue.
Nonetheless, New Yorkers will still have to pay a replacement fee if they lose documents. The latter are considered lost after about a month of delay, and users will no longer be able to borrow – excluding digital content – if they accumulate the losses.
A nationwide policy
With this announcement, it is the largest network of public libraries that chooses to abandon the late payment system, but not the first.
Indeed, this decision comes after a similar choice made by the San Diego Public Library in 2019, the same year as the Chicago Public Library. An initiative that proved successful: after the policy change, Chicago public libraries found an increase in the number of returned documents as well as library card renewals.
The Boston Public Library System embarked on a similar path in April this year, removing all late fees, after previously removing fines for minors. The Burbank Public Library System in California followed this bold move by Massachusetts libraries, announcing in July that it would no longer charge late fees, in an effort to encourage low-income households to invest or reinvest in libraries.
« While fines for overdue items may seem like a small burden, they can create a major hurdle for those in financial difficulty. Burbank stressed at the time of the decision. “Too many people have made the choice to stop using the library because of inability to pay or fear of paying fines. »
Credit: melanzane1013 (CC BY-SA 2.0)
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