Portage County District Library (PCDL) is pleased to announce that its fine amnesty will remain in effect until June 30, 2019. During this time, Library administration and the Board of Trustees will take steps to make the library permanently fine-free on most materials. This only pertains to overdue fines and not to lost or damaged materials, and does not apply to mobile hotspots or items borrowed through inter-library loan services such as SearchOhio or OhioLINK.
All PCDL materials are checked out for a two-week loan period and due dates still apply. Library cards will still be blocked when materials are a month overdue. The costs for lost or damaged items will still be applied. When charges on a borrower’s card total $50 or more, the account is assessed a $10 fee and sent to a collection agency. While the amnesty period continues to be in effect, anyone who returns long overdue items can have the fines waived, but may still owe the $10 collection agency fee.
For most libraries, like PCDL, overdue fines are not a significant source of revenue for the library, less than 1% in many cases. There has been a growing trend in public libraries to do away with fines for overdue library materials. The American Library Association (ALA) vowed to promote the elimination of fees and fines in a policy brief issued in 2012 because fines can be a barrier to library access, with the greatest impact on those who most need the library. Just last year, the Columbus Metropolitan Library eliminated overdue fines, while other Ohio systems have been fine-free for years.
PCDL provides library service to Portage County residents (except those who reside within the Kent and Ravenna school districts). PCDL branch libraries include Aurora Memorial, Garrettsville, Outreach Services (includes Home Delivery, Library Express & the Library Box at the NEW Center in Rootstown), Pierce Streetsboro, Randolph, and Windham. For more information about library programs and services, visit PCDL online at www.portagelibrary.org.
