Worried about racking up overdue fines?
Worry no longer! LCPL is delighted to announce that most items are now fine-free and worry-free.
A few high-priority collections with limited copies will still generate overdue fines:
- Bestseller Express
- Interlibrary Loan
- Book Club to Go Kits
- Video Game Consoles
- Video Games
See www.lcplin.org/fines for more details.
Fine-Free FAQs
Why is LCPL going fine-free?
We discovered that fines presented a major barrier to many people who need the library.
A small fine to some is an unmanageable burden to others - and what's more, we discovered that fines do not alter behavior. Returning an item late or on time had more to do with socioeconomic factors, like transportation options.
Fines did not incentivize on-time returns; all they did was prevent people from bringing items back at all, and from continuing to use the library.
What will stop people from keeping items for way too long?
Remember when we made all kids' books fine-free in 2021? We used that as a beta test to see what the impact on wait times and overdue items would be. It turned out to be very small, or nonexistent!
We also analyzed our return rates and overdue rates for our whole collection and discovered that less than 2% of checked out items are returned overdue. This, coupled with the discovery that fines don't incentivize returns (see previous question), makes us confident that impacts to wait times will be minimal. We'll be checking in on this number as word about going fine-free spreads.
We will also be keeping an eye on our holds queues to make sure they don't suddenly increase. We have a monitoring and purchasing strategy in place to keep wait times down so that everyone can continue to enjoy the collection without disruptions!
Will I still get overdue notices and renewal notices?
Yes! Your overdue and renewal notifications will not change, and items will still get the same number of automatic renewals as long as no one else has a hold on them.
What about other fees?
Lost or damaged items will still generate Lost Item or Replacement Cost fees. You can read more about those at www.lcplin.org/fines.
I have another question.
If you have more questions, feel free to drop us an Ask a Librarian form at www.lcplin.org/ask. Of course you are also welcome to call us or ask in person at any LCPL branch, as well.
Thanks for reading!
We hope you enjoy your new and improved library!
Lake County Public Library
1919 W 81st Ave
Merrillville, IN
(219) 769-3541www.lcplin.org