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Chicago Public Library Forgives All Fees & Fines for Overdue Books
The City of Chicago is poised to eliminate overdue fees and fines for library books and other items in an attempt to encourage reading among youth and low-income library users.
Chicago’s rookie Mayor Lori Lightfoot made the announcement this past Monday. The Chicago Public Library system is the second largest in the country. With the click of a few keyboard keys, it will erase all outstanding overdue fees. Currently, the library system blocks anyone from borrowing books whenever their fines/fees reach $10.00. This policy has, in effect, dis-incentivized users from accessing the library altogether.
The Mayor says that the new policy will reverse that trend and instead aid those who have traditionally had the most difficulty paying fees and fines in the past. Money is not the issue, she says. The Chicago Public Library is neither a profit-making organization nor a collection agency. “This is about educating folks, giving them access to learning, having a safe space where people can come and learn,” she declared.
