Marlborough Libraries go fine free

In doing so, Marlborough Libraries joins the growing movement of Fine Free Aotearoa, a group encouraging libraries and councils to stop charging fees on overdue books. Children’s and teens’ books are already fine free.

Libraries Manager Glenn Webster said fining library users undermined one of the core principles of public libraries - the provision of free and universal access to information.

“There’s no evidence that overdue charges encourage meaningful compliance with library borrowing periods,” he said.

Library fines often impacted those with the least ability to pay and with fewer alternative sources of information and reading material. Experience showed removing fines resulted in greater use of public libraries including for access to technology, participation in programmes and community cohesion.

Removing fines could provide relief for communities in uncertain economic times.

“Using libraries provides fair and equitable access to information for lifelong learning with access to resources that build literacy and understanding,” Mr Webster said.

In 2012 overdue charges for children’s and teens’ books were removed in recognition that fines were a barrier to use. Marlborough was at the forefront of a trend, being the seventh library from 66 in the country to do so.

Libraries today are a focal point for the community, a meeting place, a site for education and played a key role in improving outcomes in literacy. Literate communities were more cohesive, stable, high-functioning, resilient and tolerant.

“When people stop using libraries because of fines they miss out on all these benefits,” Mr Webster said.

Libraries that removed fines reported increases in membership and borrowing, a decrease in books returned late, a reduction in administrative costs and a return of lapsed members.

$12,000 in revenue from fines last year would be offset from income from room bookings.

Click here for more information on Marlborough Libraries’ Fine Free announcement.

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