The Vancouver Island Regional Library says fines on all young-adult materials will be permanently removed in January.
In addition, the current fine moratorium on material for older adults will be extended for another year.
“For many in our communities, library fines can mean the difference between being able to access library materials or not,” said VIRL executive director Ben Hyman. “By moving in this direction our board of trustees is demonstrating progressive governance and prioritizing literacy and opportunity over punitive fines.”
VIRL will also be waiving fines and processing fees on accounts that have them already.
“It’s about providing everyone with a clean slate,” Hyman said. “This decision means more access for more people across our service area.”
VIRL has branches in Sooke and Sidney in the capital region, along with its up-Island locations.
The organization’s board of trustees is made up of 38 members who came to an agreement that fines are “punitive, restrictive and counter to the philosophy and spirit of our library system,” said board chairwoman and Port McNeill Mayor Gaby Wickstrom.
Fines were permanently removed from children’s materials in 2019, and have not been charged since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
