I'm Not Kidding - I Am SO Over You, Fines

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Last week, I did a post on why we should put our shoulder to the wheel on eliminating fines in libraries.

This week, serendipitously, a discussion on the alsc-l listserv on increasing circulation of youth materials linked to an important study and white paper. Colorado's wunderkind, Carol Edwards, pointed readers to Removing Barriers to Access: Eliminating Library Fines and Fees on Children's Materials, written by meg DePriest, the result of an IMLS funded SPELL project grant that identified fines and fees for children as a major barrier to service for low-income families.

The clearly written and researched white paper can give all youth librarians the tools they need to push for fine/fee elimination with directors, administration and municipal funders.

Thanks to the Colorado State Library, IMLS and the SPELL advisory board for making this kind of support available not just to CO libraries but to all of us!

Buh-bye Barriers - Stop the Fines

I was struck by the recent Slate article on eliminating fines by Ruth Graham. In it, she not only gives a link-heavy overview of the history of library fines but also some solid data and anecdotal evidence of what happens when fines are eliminated. In general, as expected, revenues from fines go down. At the same time, costs for charge card machines can be eliminated. And access to the library as seen through circ and usage, go up.

Five years ago an ALA white paper on homelessness advocated eliminating fines and fees in order to provide access to libraries for poor.  I bet all of us have heard from teachers, parents, leaders in youth serving organizations - and our consciences - how fines are a true barrier to library use.

Isn't it time we truly open our doors to all our community - including those for whom fines and fees are a daunting barrier to use of our services, collections and programs? Let's truly show what libraries are.

To read more thoughts and links on this, stop here.