SUMMIT COUNTY, OHIO— Beginning March 1, 2024, on its 150th anniversary of opening to the public, the Akron-Summit County Public Library will no longer charge overdue fines. Additionally, the Library will remove all outstanding overdue fines from customers’ accounts. Charges for lost or damaged items will remain. The Library Board of Trustees unanimously approved the change, placing the Library system among a growing number of public libraries across the state and country that have eliminated overdue fines.
Research has shown that charging overdue fines does not result in reducing overdue rates. Eliminating overdue fines enhances access, provides equitable service, increases use, and removes penalties from children and families who can least afford them.
Becoming fine free does not mean customers will not have to return materials to the Library. All items will still have a due date and must be returned to avoid receiving a bill for lost items. Additionally, customers will still incur charges for damaged items. Loan periods have not changed, and any item that is not returned within 28 days past the due date will be considered lost. When lost items are returned to the Library, the replacement fee is cleared.
As the use of the Library’s digital materials grows, overdue fine revenue logically diminishes, because digital materials are returned automatically.The Library’s revenue from overdue fines over the last four years has been 0.30% or less of total revenue.
For customers who have considered overdue fines a donation, the Library is grateful for donations of any amount. Library officials recommend donating to the Akron-Summit County Public Library Endowment Fund at the Akron Community Foundation.
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The Akron-Summit County Public Library provides resources for learning and leisure, information services, meeting spaces, and programs for all ages that support, improve, and enrich individual, family, and community life. The Library's official service area includes the City of Akron and all of Summit County except for Barberton, Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Peninsula, Stow-Munroe Falls, and Twinsburg, which are served by independent libraries.
