“Many libraries around the country have done away with overdue fines,” said Sheri Britsch, library director. “The Salt Lake City Library System did it in 2017. Their reasoning intrigued me. According to their research and subsequent experience, fines do very little to deter late returns or to instill a sense of accountability. People either turn their items in on time or they don’t.”

Britsch said that most people adhere to due dates because they understand that libraries only work if their items are returned for others to use, not because they are worried about fines. More importantly, while the fines don’t help people, they definitely can hurt people.

“On an almost daily basis, our library staff overheard parents telling their kids to either limit checkouts or to just look at books while in the library because they couldn’t afford the fines. It was heartbreaking every time we heard it,” she said.

Britsch cited an example of a person who was recently working at a library in Salt Lake City. Due to health problems, this person was unable to work for more than a year and after a communication problem with her local library, she had accrued more than $20 in late fines. “Because she has no income to pay her fines, she has stopped using the library — and she’s a librarian who is passionate about libraries and reading,” Britsch said. “Evidence suggests that numerous former library users come back when fines are eliminated.”

So, what about the funds generated by the late fees? According to Britsch, the library’s yearly budget is used to purchase new materials. The overdue fines, however, go into the city’s general fund. Last year, the library received about $13,000 in overdue fines. Nearly that same amount was spent in staff time collecting those same fines. “It is not a cost-effective use of staff time,” Britsch said.

Checked-out library materials are still be expected to be returned. There will still be due dates, and reminders will be sent when items are overdue. If a patron does not return an item within four weeks of the due date, or if the item is returned damaged, the patron will be charged replacements costs.

In addition to Pleasant Grove, other local libraries have also stopped charging overdue fines, including American Fork, Lehi and Eagle Mountain.

“Our mission is to promote knowledge, inspire curiosity and to strengthen the community,” she said. “Fines that stop usage and create an adversarial relationship between patrons and staff prevent us from succeeding at our own mission.”