As of June 1, if you had any late fees outstanding at the Bruce County Public Library (BCPL), they have been forgiven. This also applies to any future late items returned.
"We know that fines are a barrier for people to access library services and obviously we want as many people as possible using the library," said Brooke McLean, director of library services. "Fines can be a significant expense for some people and it means that even though they've already returned the material, they're not allowed to borrow anything else until they pay a fine and they may not be able to do that."
She added that the fines are in place to encourage on-time returns, however, they are not effective at doing so.
"Many library systems have seen an increase in the number of items returned on time and the number of people using the library," said McLean.
BCPL's mission is to provide everybody with the information, knowledge, and entertainment resources needed to achieve one's goals. She said that having a late fee that many people can't afford, it's not working towards that mission.
Although late fees no longer apply, that doesn't mean all fees are gone.
"Items will be marked lost sooner than they currently are," said McLean. "Items that haven't been renewed or returned after three weeks will be billed as a lost item. If people bring the item back, then it will be checked in and there won't be a loss fee to pay and there won't be any overdue charges."
McLean said the income from the fees is very minimal and can be made up in other ways. She adds any donations are always welcome at BCPL.
