The Crown Point Community Library is at 122 N. Main St.
CROWN POINT — Crown Point Community Library is eliminating all fines for overdue books starting Jan. 1, 2023.
This means all overdue book fines have been erased from patrons' accounts and the library will no longer be charging for overdue materials.
However, fines for lost or damaged materials will remain, and patrons' accounts will still be blocked if they accumulate $25 in lost or damaged materials. After 14 days, unreturned items will be considered lost and the borrower must either return the item without penalty or pay the replacement cost.
Library Director Julie Wendorf said this aligns the library with the 2019 American Library Association Resolution, which encouraged libraries across the U.S. to go fine-free. She noted that 100 of Indiana's 236 libraries are, as of June 2022, fine-free.
The rationale for this change, she said, is to reduce barriers to access, promote equity and extend goodwill to the community that is already paying taxes to support the library. Additionally, it will reduce negative interactions between patrons and staff.
Wendorf called fines "an ineffective tool." Other libraries that have gone fine-free have reported no significant changes in borrower behavior, she explained. In addition, fines are often never paid and simply keep patrons from returning to the library.
Revenue generated from fines accounted for less than 1% of the library's operating budget, the library reported.
"The library has been serving the community since 1908 and we are thrilled to remove this barrier to access for our community," Wendorf said.
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