In 2019, overdue fines are a thing of the past at libraries

Goal is to ensure that all residents have equal access to library books and other materials

San Mateo County Libraries rang in the new year by eliminating fines on overdue materials at its 12 libraries.

It’s part of the county’s effort to ensure that residents at all income levels have equal access to library books and other materials, and is anticipated to build on the success of eliminating fines for children and teens in July 2016 and for seniors on fixed incomes in January 2018. Early research into the relatively new idea shows that fines don’t encourage patrons to return materials on time and that eliminating fines leads to higher use of library materials.

Ending fines for the two groups has led to a substantial uptick in materials they check out from the county’s libraries — 50 percent in the case of young patrons — which is the intent of rolling it out to all patrons, according to County Libraries director of library services Anne-Marie Despain. Currently, 8 percent of about 165,000 cardholders have their library cards blocked due to fines, a figure that increases to 19 percent in low-income communities, according to a County Libraries statement. Those cards will now be reinstated.

“The goal is … for all of our community members to have access and be using the wonderful resources they’re already paying for,” Despain said Monday.

Low-income patrons often don’t return materials because they tend to lack transportation and are unable to pay fines that accrue, officials said.

“For a lot of people, fines are just an inconvenience and they pay it,” said County Libraries publicist Katie Woods. “But for others, it can be the difference of what kind of food they can put on the table. It can be a significant burden.”

Despain said overdue fines and fees account for less than 1 percent of the libraries’ revenue and the loss of revenue will be offset by no longer having staff spend time enforcing fines. The libraries will continue to charge replacement fees for materials that are not returned within 30 days after they are due, but will now waive those fees once the materials are returned.

There is one significant caveat: Materials belonging to other libraries in the Peninsula Library System will still accrue fines and patrons’ cards can still be blocked. That includes a num-

ber of city- and community college-owned libraries that are not yet on board with the full rollout, but are participating in the fine-free system for youths. Peninsula materials are usually marked as such and generally not shelved at county libraries, but must be requested

at the service desk or online.

County Libraries is continuing to work with cities on possibly eliminating fines for all patrons. Some Peninsula libraries want to see more data before considering joining, Despain said, and some may need to continue collecting fines because it remains a necessary part of their revenue stream.

“We decided it was more important to move forward than wait for it to be a perfect situation,” she said.

County Libraries operates libraries in Atherton, Belmont, Brisbane, East Palo Alto, Foster City, Half Moon Bay, Millbrae, Pacifica, Portola Valley, San Carlos and Woodside. Fine-free systems are also in place in Contra Costa County and Berkeley.