Have an overdue library book in Norfolk? It won’t cost you.

After a one-year trial period, Norfolk public libraries will no longer fine patrons for overdue items.

Norfolk City Council at last Tuesday’s meeting unanimously voted to permanently eliminate overdue library fines. The ordinance retroactively removes existing fines for some patrons, and will have almost no impact on the city budget. Fees for lost or damaged books and materials will continue, however.

“Libraries across the United States are eliminating overdue fines to improve equity of access. Studies of libraries that have eliminated late fees have found that ending overdue fines actually results in a higher rate of books being returned, as people are less likely to avoid the library if they are not concerned about having to pay money,” the city wrote in a memo to the council.

Overdue fines from before 2010 and all juvenile fines from before 2021 have been removed, but unpaid fines charged to adults between 2010 and 2022 have not, according to the city.

Previously, the library system charged 20 cents per day per item up to a $6 maximum for books. It charged $1.25 per day for DVDs, reference books and other materials up to a $10 maximum. In the past, library fines amounted to less than 1% of Norfolk Public Library’s annual budget, according to the city.

The Urban Libraries Council contends that fines are ineffective in eliminating past-due returns and disproportionately affect communities of color. More than 200 libraries in the United States have eliminated overdue fines, including at least 15 in Virginia, according to the council’s website.