Next July, the Jefferson-Madison Regional Library system, which comprises eight library locations, will join libraries around the United States in doing away with charging fines for overdue items.
The Board of Trustees voted unanimously on September 22 for staff to plan to discontinue fines for most things.
In January 2019, the Council of the American Library Association issued a policy that outlined how fines are a form of social inequity because they “present an economic barrier to access of library materials” and that “monetary fines ultimately do not serve the core mission of the modern library.”
Several systems across Virginia have already done away with fines, including Staunton in July 2020 and Lynchburg in August 2022. Staunton reported that the number of patrons who had access blocked due to unpaid fines decreased from 7,342 to 1,681. JMRL currently has more than 10,000 individuals or households who have lost access for that reason.
A subcommittee of the JMRL Board of Trustees was formed to study the issue and it found that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. Points in favor include a potential increase in circulation and the freeing up of staff time to perform other tasks. One downside is a loss of revenue as fines currently go toward the purchase of library equipment.
When the committee presented its report in February, JMRL had more than 16,000 items designated as “billed,” which means they had not been returned, totaling just over $300,000. In fiscal year 2025, JMRL collected $83,608 in overdue fines and $43,980 for billed items. The system spent $5,200 to hire collection agencies.
Library Director David Plunkett presented the Board of Trustees with a three-year plan to make up the lost revenue, which includes the use of JMRL’s savings, contributions from the nonprofit Friends of JMRL, and state funding.
The unanimous vote begins a process where staff will update the policy in order to be ready for the next fiscal year. Patrons may continue to be charged for some items if they’re returned late.
“If we borrow a book from an outside institution and lend it to a patron of ours [who] brings it back late, JMRL is responsible for the fees to that outside institution,” Plunkett said.
Another potential instance is fines on bestselling books that patrons can only check out for a week in order to ensure others have access.
JMRL has already instituted a policy of auto-renewals for materials that do not have an active hold on them. The system went fine-free for juvenile cards in July 2016.
Fines will be levied until next July 1. The charge for most items is a quarter a day and a dollar a day for interlibrary loans. DVDs, audiobooks, and bestsellers accrue 50 cents a day. The maximum fine per JMRL item is $10 and $30 for interlibrary loans. JMRL caps total fines at $35.
