Starting in the new year, the Wellington County Library will no longer charge fines on overdue materials. Earlier this month, the Wellington County Library Board voted unanimously to permanently end this practice.
A media release reported the goal is to remove barriers for Wellington County residents accessing library services. Wellington County Library has not been charging for overdue materials throughout 2021 due to COVID-19 restrictions. The decision to make this permanent is in line with the latest research which demonstrates that fines do not encourage the timely return of material, they in fact do the opposite.
Fees will continue to be charged for lost or damaged materials. Outstanding overdue fines will be forgiven effective January 1.
“Starting January 1, 2022 the Wellington County Library will be fine free,” said Councillor Mary Lloyd, Wellington County Library Chair. “Permanently removing overdue fines supports lifelong learning by ensuring library resources remain accessible to everyone in Wellington County.”
“Removal of this financial barrier will encourage more people in our communities to use the library and access all the resources we have to offer” said Rebecca Hine, Chief Librarian.
