Officials are celebrating the initial results of the switch to a fine-free return policy at Burlington County libraries.
The policy has been in effect for just over a year. All overdue fines for books, DVDs, CDs, magazines, movies, video games and technology-on-loan items were eliminated at branch and member libraries. Overdue fines continue for museum passes, classroom kits, book club sets and inter-library loan items.
The result of the policy has been reports of a substantial increase in activity, from checkouts of books and other materials, to digital downloads, new card-holder requests and the return of previously lost titles. The county has seen:
- A 36% increase in checkouts from county branches and member libraries between July 1, 2024 and June 30 of this year
- A 19% increase in digital checkouts during the same period
- The creation of 15,334 new library cards
- The addition of 1,600 users to Libby/Overdrive, the library system’s digital catalog of online programs, collections and services.
Library staff also reported a 57% reduction in the list of lost items as hundreds of missing books and other items were returned without penalty. Many are again available for checkout.
County Library Commission Chair Jonathan Chebra said the numbers validate the decision to eliminate most fines and monetary penalties. Prior to the change, more than 35,300 card holders were inactive because they had not borrowed materials for more than a year.
“A lot of thought and research preceded the change to a fine-free policy, and the first-year results are encouraging,” he said. “We believed late fees and fines created a barrier that prevented some individuals and families from utilizing the library, so it’s gratifying to see card holders who were inactive for years are returning to discover all the programs, services and resources the library offers.”
Card holders will continue to pay replacement fees for lost or unreturned materials and libraries will continue to prevent additional borrowing by card holders who have overdue materials.
“The change to fine free did not equate to responsibility free,” noted library system director Ranjna Das. “Library customers are still being held responsible for the materials they borrow. But what we’re seeing is that card holders who were inactive for years due to fines or overdue books have returned.
“These returning customers are also taking advantage of all our enhanced services, including our digital collections and programs.”
