New Year, No Fines

Effective January 1, 2022, the Lake Bluff Library will no longer charge overdue fines.

Why did the Library decide to make this change?

• Eliminating overdue fines allows us to provide our patrons with a better library experience and better customer service.
• Multiple studies have proven that overdue fines are not an effective incentive to return books on time and are more likely to act as a barrier to library service and access.
• Studies that compare fine free libraries to libraries that charge overdue fines have found no appreciable difference in return rates—in some cases, fine free libraries outperformed libraries that charge fines.
• Many libraries on the national and local level have successfully eliminated overdue fines and seen tremendous benefits, including increased engagement and circulation.
• Multiple studies have demonstrated that overdue fines have a disproportionately high impact on low-income families who rely on the library for important services.
• Overdue fine revenue has declined substantially in the last several years, especially after the implementation of autorenewal. Overdue fines account for 0.23% of our budget and the introduction of new revenue sources such as passports and license plate renewals exceeds overdue fine revenue by more than 400%.

But how are you going to get people to return their materials without charging fines?

While we are no longer charging for late returns, due dates will still apply and patrons will still be responsible for the replacement cost of materials that are not returned.

What will happen when an item becomes overdue?

Patrons will be notified when an item becomes overdue. When the item is 14 days overdue, the patron’s account will be blocked from borrowing more materials until the item is returned. At 45 days overdue, the patron will be billed for the cost of the item.

What happens if I return an item that I’ve been billed for?

If a billed item has been returned at any point in the 6 months following the due date, we will waive the replacement cost. If the billed item is returned outside of that window, you will be responsible for the replacement cost even if the item is returned.

I'm afraid my old account may have some outstanding issues - what can I do to take care of those and start using the library again?

Stop by or call the Library so we can make sure your account is up to date.

Is the Library going to lose money by going fine free? Will my property taxes increase?

This change is budget neutral and will not affect your property taxes. Other revenue lines like passports bring in more than enough money to cover the cost of going fine free.

I like to think of my overdue fines as my donation to the Library. Are there other ways that I can support the Library?

Yes! You can make monetary donations directly to the Library. The Lake Bluff Library Foundation and the Friends of the Lake Bluff Library are also two great non-profits that raise money for the Library.