Houston Public Library eliminates overdue fines
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Houston Public Library will no longer charge late fees on overdue books and other borrowed items, after the Houston City Council unanimously approved the library’s proposal Wednesday.
Why it matters: Fine-free systems decrease financial barriers to library access and allow more low-income individuals to use the library's resources — which go beyond checking out books.
Details: Overdue fines were 20 cents per day for adult and young adult materials and 10 cents for children's materials.
- Approximately 25% of HPL account holders owe fines, and 70% of those fines were accrued before 2015.
The big picture: Late fines comprised of less than 1% of the HPL's budget over the past five years, so the policy change is not expected to impact revenue.
- Plus: Processing fines were a strain on staff time and resources.
The intrigue: During an amnesty period from Jan. 17 through Feb. 18, library staff will assist patrons in getting their existing charges erased.
- Flashback: The last time HPL had an amnesty period in 2014, $30,000 in fines were cleared and $75,000 worth of overdue material was returned.
Zoom out: HPL joins other library systems across the country in eliminating fines.
- Chicago Public Library removed fines in 2019, and the system had a 240% increase in book returns.
- Denver Public Library removed fines in 2018 and had a 35% increase in customers returning to the library and a 10% increase in lost materials being returned.
What they're saying: "A fine-free library system evens the playing field and incentivizes Houstonians to become lifelong users of our Houston Public Library," said Mayor Sylvester Turner.
- "Simply put, this is the right thing to do."