As part of Canadian Library Month, CUPE is presenting stories from members of the National Library Workers’ Committee to highlight and celebrate the different roles CUPE library workers play in promoting literacy in their communities.
Kim Parry
I work in a busy public library where I help community members access information daily. The information patrons seek could be for leisure, work, family, or school. In 2021, the library eliminated fines for overdue books and other items. Late fees pose a barrier to accessing information and materials. Even with fines as low as 10 cents a day, patrons who were days late returning multiple items could accumulate a significant fine. Some people simply can’t afford to pay.
Fines caused people to avoid the library. They would feel like they couldn’t even come in to access computers, services, or programs. Going fine free increases the accessibility of the library for everyone and encourages greater borrowing since there’s no longer stress associated with returning items on-time. Greater access and borrowing encourages more reading and learning, which fosters greater literacy. And, since my time is no longer taken up with collecting and administering late fees, I can concentrate on connecting patrons with the resources and services they need.