Bobby Sherwood, publicist for NYPL, told the Norwood News, in response to our recent inquiry, “All prior late fees from patron accounts have been cleared, allowing New Yorkers a clean slate.” He added, “Combined [with Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) and Queens Public Library (QPL) systems] this is the biggest system in the country to eliminate fines.”

 

New York joins other major cities such as San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, Miami-Dade, Seattle, and Dallas to go fine-free. NYPL officials said under the previous model, with late fines, patrons would have their cards blocked if they accrued more than $15 in fines. At the time of the announcement, about 400,000 New Yorkers would fall into this category, more than half in high-need communities.

 

In an effort to expand membership and welcome back existing patrons, NYPL, BPL and QPL will be hosting a week of giveaways and special programs at all branch locations beginning on Monday, Oct. 18, through Saturday, Oct. 23. During that week, New Yorkers are encouraged to stop by, reconnect with their local libraries, check out materials, and return anything they may have at home – fine free. For info about NYPL‘s welcome week events, click here.

 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said the announcement was another major step towards making public libraries, which he called the heart of so many communities, accessible to all. “Eliminating fines will let us serve even more New Yorkers, allowing them to enjoy all of the resources and programs that public libraries offer to grow and succeed,” he said.

 

While the details are slightly different per library system, generally, the new, fine-free policies are as follows:

• New Yorkers of all ages will no longer need to pay any late fees on overdue materials.
• In the past, library cards were blocked if they accrued $15 or more in fines; that will no longer be the case.
• New Yorkers will still need to pay replacement fees if they lose materials. Materials are considered lost after being overdue for about one month. If materials are returned, however, no fees will apply.
• Cards will be blocked from borrowing additional physical materials if patrons accrue replacement fees (thresholds differ per system). Note that even with a block on cards, patrons can still access computers, e-books, and other digital services.

 

Bronxites can obtain more information on the process at nypl.org. In the NYPL system, branches in high-need communities (median household income below $50,000) account for 6 times the number of blocked patrons as others.

 

Below are some borough-specific stats in terms of percentage of patrons with fines (total number and percentage of all cardholders in the borough):

• Bronx 130k, 31%
• Manhattan 205k, 25%
• Staten Island, 30k, 30%

 

“Blocked” patrons total and percentage of all cardholders in the borough:

• Bronx, 67k, 16%
• Manhattan, 64k, 8%
• Staten Island, 13k, 13%

 

Meanwhile, below are the branches, citywide, with the highest percentage of blocked cards:

 

News of the elimination of fees was welcomed by New York City schools chancellor, Meisha Porter, who said public libraries and school communities work hand in hand to help students think critically, broaden their imaginations, and become lifelong learners. “As an educator, I know first-hand the power of equitable access to information and knowledge, and I applaud our public library partners for taking this critical step,” she said. “Eliminating fines in New York City will benefit generations of children and help foster their love of learning.”

 

For details of NYPL’s recently announced selection of fall STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) and other programs, as reported, click here.