The Greater Victoria Public Library is the latest system to eliminate fines for overdue books, wipe out all existing late fines from patron accounts and unblock accounts that had been suspended due to unpaid fines.
The move, which will come into force Jan. 10, will wipe out fines for 30,000 of the library’s 135,000 cardholders.
Board chair Andrew Appleton said the goal is to reduce barriers that prevent people from using libraries.
“The cornerstone of our library’s mission is to build community and support literacy and lifelong learning,” Appleton said in a statement. “We hope that anyone who was not using the library because of an outstanding fine, or the fear of accruing fines, will feel welcome to visit once again.”
The move follows the Vancouver Island Regional Library’s announcement that it would eliminate all late fees and wipe out existing fines at branches in Sidney, Sooke and up-Island as of Jan. 1, 2023.
The regional library system noted at the time that two-thirds of library materials are returned before the 21-day loan period is up and 98% are returned before 120 days.
The Greater Victoria Public Library could not say how much fine money will be written off with the move, though it noted fine money accounted for just 1.2 per cent of its revenue in 2019 — the last full year it collected fines.
The library used to charge between 10 cents and $1.50 a day — depending on the item — for overdue items.
Fines had been capped at between $3 and $12 depending on the item. When items were overdue 45 days, they were considered lost, and a lost item fee was charged.
Accounts had been blocked when fees owing exceeded $40 or there were 10 or more items overdue.
Under the new rules, the library will still charge a fee for lost or damaged items. Items more than 21 days late will be considered lost.
Maureen Sawa, chief executive of the library, said finances should never be a barrier for people wanting to use the library.
“We trust our community to care for the library’s collection and to return items when they are due,” she said in a statement.
Sawa said the rising popularity of ebooks and other digital materials that do not accrue overdue fines and the “lenient” approach to fine collection during the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that the revenue generated from overdue fines has decreased in recent years.
