Beginning July 1 Lincoln Library has eliminated overdue fines on juvenile and young adult materials. This decision was made to encourage young readers and learners to use the library more. “We are working hard to remove and eliminate barriers around library use,” said Lincoln Library Access Services Manager Jessica Paulsen in a recent press release. “Having access to learning materials should not depend on whether or not you have transportation back to the library by a specific date or whether or not you can pay an overdue fine.” Items will still have due dates and can be renewed twice as long as there are no requests for the item. The elimination of the fine applies to the type of material borrowed and not the age of the library cardholder. This means juvenile materials checked out to adults will not incur fines, but adult materials checked out to juveniles will still incur fines. Motivation for the change stems from a desire to accelerate changing attitudes towards the library. “We want people to feel welcomed and inspired here, not stressed-out, afraid or guilty because they returned items a few days late and cannot pay the fine,” said Paulsen.
This article appears in Jul 27 – Aug 2, 2017.
