End Library Fines Press Release (July 18, 2019)
Interviews
More Libraries are Going Fine Free. Here’s Why (Changing America)
Meg and Andy talk about the movement to eliminate library fines.
Denton, Fort Worth are the Latest Libraries to Get Rid of Late Fines, a Trend Some Say is Overdue (Dallas Morning News)
Andy talks about the national trend to eliminate fines in libraries.
Librarian: Ending Library Fines is a Social Justice Issue (KJZZ)
Andy talks about the evolution of eliminating library fines on KJZZ’s program The Show.
Princh Library Lounge, Episode 2: Library Fines with Meg DePriest and Beth Crist
Meg and Beth talk about the importance of ending library fines within communities and the impact it can make.
Articles
All articles have their state or country (if not within the United States) added in brackets to the headline so as to be found with a webpage search (Ctrl+F). For example, if you wanted to find all articles relating to libraries in New Jersey, you would search for “[NJ]”. Non-US libraries can be found by searching for their country name (e.g. “Canada”, “Australia”, “Ireland”).
For multiple articles about the same library, the most reputable source is chosen for inclusion; therefore, this is not an exhaustive listing of all library fine-free articles. In addition, websites that use paywalls to limit article access are generally avoided.
2020 (Articles are updated on a rolling basis)
Ottawa [Canada] Public Library Scraps Late Fees for Overdue Items (CTV News)
Turner [MA] Free Library is Feeling Fine (Free) (Wicked Local)
No More Late Fees to be Charged at [Prince Edward Island Canada] Public Libraries (Yahoo! News)
Fargo [ND] Public Library Getting Rid of Overdue Fines (Valley News Live)
Fort Saskatchewan [Canada] Public Library Eliminates Late Fees (St Thomas Times-Journal)
Amsterdam [NY] Library Eliminates Fines (The Leader-Herald)
Goulburn Library [Australia] Abandons Late Fine Regime To Encourage Use (Goulburn Post)
[New Haven CT] Library Eliminates Fines (New Haven Independent)
Sylvan Lake [Canada] Municipal Library Goes Fine-Free (Sylvan Lake News)
Kawartha Lakes [Canada] Library System Eliminates Late Fines (Lindsay Advocate)
Lisle [IL] Library District is Now Fine Free (Chicago Daily Herald)
Peoria [IL] Public Library Goes Fine-Free Forever (WGLT)
St Charles [MO] Library System Eliminates Late-Book Fines (STL Today)
Carroll County [MD] Public Library Eliminates Overdue Fines (Baltimore Sun)
Palatine [IL] Library Drops Fines, Joins Forces with Other Libraries (Daily Herald)
Cranston [RI] Library Eliminates Book Fines (Patch)
(Congrats, Ed! – Andy)
Fondulac [IL] Library Does Away with Overdue Fines (Week.com)
Joliet [IL] Public Library Won’t Fine You Anymore (Patch)
Bitterroot [MT] Public Library Goes Fine Free (Ravalli Republic)
Library Late Fines May Be Eliminated, says [Canada] Province’s Acting Executive Director (CBC)
Washoe County [] Library Board Eliminates Fines on Overdue Books & Materials (News4)
Collingswood [Canada] Loses Late Fines Permanently (Collingswood Today)
No More Library Late Fines at Fergus Falls Public Library [MN] (Valley News)
Mattoon [IL] Library Goes Fine Free (Journal Gazette & Times-Courier)
Lancaster [MA] Library Removes Fines for Children’s, Young Adult Materials (Telegram.com)
Editorial: Eliminating Overdue Book Fines Increases Library Ues for All (Richmond Times-Dispatch)
North Library [IA] Public Library to Eliminate Fines for Overdue Materials (Little Village)
Removal of Late Fines Brings Surge in Patrons at Sarasota [FL] Libraries (Herald-Tribune)
Williston [ND] Public Library Eliminating Book fees (KXNET)
No More Late Fees – Richmond [VA] Public Library Ends Overdue Fines (WRIC ABC8)
Mason County [MI] District Library is Going Fine Free (9&10 News)
Delta Township [MI] District Library Eliminating Most Fines (WITL)
Miles-Maine [IL] Library Going Fine-Free (Journal-Topics)
More Libraries Are Doing Away with Overdue Fines (New York Times)
Sawyer Free Library [MA] to Eliminate Late Fees (Wicked Local Gloucester)
Removal of Late Fines in Sarasota [FL] Libraries Proves Successful
Overdue Fines Eliminated at Many Libraries in Allegheny County [PA] (WTAE Pittsburgh)
Library Late Fines Removed Across Kempsey Shire [Australia] (Macleay Argus)
Louisville [CO] Library Eliminates Late Fees for Kids’, Youth Materials (Colorado Hometown Weekly)
Rowan County [KY] Public Library is Now Fine-Free (WMKY)
Troy [NY] Public Library to go Fine Free (CBS6)
Tolleson [AZ] Public Library Eliminates Late Fees for Overdue Items (KTAR News)
No More Overdue Fines (Bethel Library) [MD] (Sun Journal)
Why Anchorage [AK] Public Library Has Gone Fine-Free (Anchorage Daily News)
Check It Out: Beverly [MA] Public Library Eliminates Overdue Fines (The Salem News)
Big Changes Coming to Pasco [FL] Libraries (Tampa Bay Times)
Library Prepares to Go Fineless with 5K (Saline County) [AR] (The Saline Courier)
Fine Time to Dump Library Fines [Manitoba, Canada] [OpEd] (Winnipeg Free Press)
Library System [OK] Does Away with Fines, Fees (Muskogee Phoenix)
Local Libraries [ID] May Eliminate Fines on Overdue Books (Moscow-Pullman Daily News)
Several Regional Libraries [ID] Eliminate Fines for Missed Due Dates (Lewiston Tribune)
Grove [OK] Public Library Eliminates Overdue Fines for DVDs and Equipment (Grand Lake News)
New Braunfels [TX] Library to Go Fine-Free in February (KENS5)
Lake Forest [IL] Library to go ‘Fine Free’ (The Lake Forest Leader Daily)
Boulder [CO] Public Library Says Goodbye to Late Fees (Boulder Colorado Government)
WCLS [WA] Permanently Eliminates Library Late Fees (The Northern Light)
UM’s Mansfield [MT] Library Gets Rid of Overdue Fines (KHQ)
Two Indiana [IN] Counties Become Latest to End Library Late Fees (WFYI)
Montclair [NJ] Library Reports Uptick in Usage After Eliminating Overdue Fines (Montclair Local)
Local Libraries [WA] Will Now BE Fine Free (LC Valley)
University of Montana’s Mansfield Library [MT] Eliminates Library Fines (KPAX)
Anchorage [AK] Public Library Will No longer Charge Fines for Overdue Materials (KTOO)
Overdue Library Fees Eliminated at (Timberland Regional Libraries) [WA] (The Vidette)
Eugene [OR] Library Eliminates Fines for Children, Teen Items (The Columbian)
[IA] Library Waves Goodbye to Overdue Fines (Ottumwa Courier)
St. Louis [MO] Area Nixes Library Fines, Joining Growing Trend (AP)
Kaukauna [WI] Library Drops All Fines for Late Returns (WBAY ABC2)
