Fort Worth Library drops late fees, forgives $461,000 in fines
Your overdue Fort Worth Public Library books will no longer carry a fine.
Starting Tuesday, the library will stop charging for late material and forgive all existing fines. That’s more than $460,000 worth of late fees that could be waived. The library has blocked the accounts for an estimated 18,000 cardholders with at least $5 in overdue fines. Those accounts will also be unblocked.
The move is an effort to make the library more accessible, Fort Worth Public Library Director Manya Shorr said in a statement.
“If our guests are returning their items in good condition for someone else to check out, we shouldn’t penalize them or make them feel unwelcome,” Shorr said.
Libraries in other large cities like Denver, New Orleans and San Francisco have gone fine-free without seeing a reduction in the number of items returned, according to the library’s statement.
Accounts were blocked once the cardholder’s fines reached $5. That threshold is now $50, but youth account holders have the option of committing to read a certain number of hours to pay off the fee.
Since 2015, the library has assessed $461,925 in fines that haven’t been paid. Those fees will be forgiven when folks come into the library to check out material.
The library is also simplifying due dates. Previously books, movies and other material had varying due dates. Now everything is due within three weeks.
Since the library expanded hours in April, branches have seen an 81% increase in visitors and 45% increase in circulation on Thursdays and Fridays. Previously some branches were closed on those days. The city council will be briefed library access later this month.
This story was originally published September 30, 2019 at 2:38 PM.
