Members of the board of trustees voted in favor of a fine-free service model at their October meeting and the no fee policy began last month. All previously accrued overdue fines will also be waived, library officials said.
“By taking this step, the Northville District Library will remain in line with trends in modern public library service and become even more welcoming and convenient for all members of the community to use,” said Library Director Laura Mancini. “Anyone who has stopped visiting the library due to an accumulation of overdue fines, or who has been holding on to overdue items for a very long time, is encouraged to return to the Northville District Library.”
Research has shown that going fine-free eliminates barriers to library usage and encourages people to return borrowed materials they previously kept in order to avoid paying fines, Mancini said. The trend has been increasing in Michigan for several years. In early 2020 the Detroit Free Press reported that more than 60 Michigan libraries were phasing out the practice of collecting late fines for overdue books and materials. In 2022 the Michigan Public Libraries Annual Report, which is published by the Library of Michigan, had the number up to 173 - nearly triple what it was before the COVID-19 pandemic began, when many public libraries suspended the collection of fines, she added.
Eliminating overdue fines does not mean that materials can be checked out indefinitely, however, and patrons who lose or damage materials they've borrowed will still be responsible for replacement fees. Most items from the library collection automatically renew twice as long as there are no holds, but if they're not returned in a timely manner patrons will be asked to pay a lost item fee.
“It's hard to tell how many long overdue items are out there,” said Maria Williams, assistant library director. “After they're gone for a long time, we remove them from the catalog. But sometimes lost items show up in donations to the Friends of the Library. Or when people clean out their basements. Or move houses. No matter how long they've been gone, we're always happy to have the items - and our patrons - come back. We waive lost item fees if the item is returned in good shape.”
In March of 2020 when public libraries across the state closed during the early days of the pandemic, suspending fines was a logical step, the librarians agreed. If patrons could not visit the library to return their items, how could they possibly pay fines? When libraries reopened, keeping fines suspended seemed like an easy way to reduce the need for a potentially risky face-to-face interaction. It also made things a little easier for patrons and staff members during an abnormally difficult time.
“It turned out to be a great accidental experiment in going fine-free,” said Williams. “Patrons did not treat their library items differently and keep them forever just because there were no fines, and it allowed our staff to focus on having friendly interactions with our patrons instead of haggling about a $2 fine.”
Public library visits declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, but as the world returns to normal the Northville District Library leaders want to encourage patrons to return - and to bring their long overdue items with them. Any resident or property owner in the City or Township of Northville is eligible for a Library card at no charge. Non-residents who work or attend school in Northville are also eligible for a card upon verification of employment or school enrollment in the district.
For more information, visit the Northville District Library website at: northvillelibrary.org; or telephone the Library at (248) 349-3020. The library is also on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Spotify, Flickr, YouTube, and TikTok.
