The Rumford Public Library is giving its patrons a Valentine — it is breaking up with late fines.
The change is meant to increase circulation and encourage patrons to return to the library, according to a news release from the library.
“Libraries have found that when they stopped collecting fines that it allowed a lot of people to return to their local library and access materials,” said Susan Marshall, library director.
Starting Monday, Feb. 14, fines will no longer accumulate on materials returned late to the library.
“Fines disproportionately affect low-income households. When patrons accumulate fines, they become less inclined to visit the library,” Marshall said. “Fines go against the American Library Association goal of supporting free access to information.
Fines for late materials were 5 cents per day. Once charges on an account reached $3, the account would be blocked, preventing the patron from checking out more material or placing holds.
“We don’t make an awful lot of money from fines,” said Marshall. “Mostly it was a handy tool for reminding people to bring their overdue items back.”
The waiving of fines will be for late fees only.
Bills that patrons have on their account — the cost to replace a book that was never returned or returned with damage — will not be removed.
As patrons check out items at the library, late fines will be cleared from their accounts.
The library will also accept back materials that have been checked out too long as long as the book was property of the library.
Charges on patron’s accounts will not prevent patrons from using other library services, such as using computers or sending a fax. However, it would prevent patrons from accessing the CloudLibrary, where patrons can borrow Ebooks and audiobooks.
Items borrowed from the library will still be due in two weeks, with two renewals, as long as there are no holds. Patrons will receive two notices from the library before they are billed for an item.
Patrons who have expired library accounts should expect to show photo identification and proof of residency.
To see the status of a library accounts, patrons can visit the library at 56 Rumford Ave., or call 207-364-3661, ext. 1. They also can view their status online through MINERVA, minerva.maine.edu, and clicking on “My Library Account”; the patron’s name is their username, and their password is their library card number.
For more information, call the library or follow it on Facebook.
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