July 1, 2020
Dear Community,
I am excited to share some fantastic news with you. As of July 1, the Corvallis-Benton County Public Library has joined many other libraries around the nation in becoming a fine free library! We have been fine free for juvenile materials since 2017 but now we will no longer charge any late fines for overdue materials. While we will still charge for lost and damaged items, we believe this policy change will create a new level of equity and access for the community. It gives me great pleasure to say that every cardholder is starting with a clean slate and a second chance at using the library.
Last year, the American Library Association passed a Resolution on Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Inequity. In that resolution, all libraries were urged to “take determined and pragmatic action to dismantle practices of collecting monetary fines.” Further, the resolution states: “fines ultimately do not serve the core mission of the modern library.”
We believe that right now, more than ever, there is a growing divide in our community when it comes to access and resources. Eliminating fines is the best next step the library can take to advancing equity in our community.
To read more about this change, you can visit our FAQs about being fine free.
Best,
Ashlee Chavez
Director, Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
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