No more late fees...ever! 

Yep – you read right! Goldfields Libraries is proud to join the growing number of public libraries no longer charging late fees for overdue items.

(We haven’t charged them since the start of the pandemic, but now it’s official!)

Public libraries are all about providing free and universal access to information. Late fees sometimes made access tricky, so we’ve made the decision to remove them.  Life is hectic – we get it. A small fine just because you returned a library book a few days late shouldn’t get between you and your library. Everyone should be able to enjoy the library, borrow as many books and DVDs as they can carry, and keep coming back for more!

This also means that if you had overdue fines on your account, they’re now gone too. 

But won’t that stop people from bringing the books back? Nope. We’re following the lead of many other public libraries who have removed late fees. Research has shown that it actually results in increased visitation, borrowing and returns. Why? Because people aren’t worried about paying fines!

Rather than getting a fine if you return an item late, you’ll get a friendly reminder. If your item reaches more than 21 days overdue, you won’t be able to borrow or reserve until they are returned. If they become lost or damaged, then you’ll need to pay a replacement cost before you can borrow again.

We are excited to close the chapter on library fines and move forward with a fine-free library service!

We know you have questions. Please read our FAQs below, and if you need to know more, get in touch.

FAQs

When does the change come into effect?

It’s in effect now.

I have fines already on my account. Do I have to pay them?

No. They’ve been wiped from your account

What’s the incentive for people to bring items back?

Instead of fines, members will not be able to borrow or reserve  items if they have items more than 21 days overdue. At this point, they will need to either return the item(s), or pay to have them replaced.

How will this impact reservations?

Fines don’t affect how fast books are returned. Other libraries have found that return rates are the same as before. Rest assured, we always keep an eye on reserve lists and order more stock as needed.

I’ve lost my library book, or it’s been damaged.

We understand that sometimes books get lost or damaged. In this case, we ask you to cover the cost of replacing the item. Please get in touch and we can discuss your options.