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The San Antonio Public Library announced earlier this week that it will stop charging fines for overdue library materials from Friday.
The decision to eliminate the fines was part of the $ 3.1 billion fiscal year 2022 spending plan that city council approved earlier this year to expand access to library resources.
“No one should be afraid to visit or use the services of their local library because they fear owing money if their book is late,” said Paul Stahl, chairman of the board of directors on Monday. from the library.
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Customers who received fines before October 1 are still required to repay their debt, but the library said no new fines would be added. The largest unpaid balance is $ 451, according to a spokesperson for the library. This customer has a payment plan that allows them to continue using library resources, the spokesperson said.
The library said failing to pay a fine had not shown that it encouraged customers to return the materials or not return them at all. In 2019, he removed fines for children and teens, resulting in a 67% reduction in juvenile library cards that were blocked.
The local library joins several other cities like Chicago, Los Angeles and San Diego that have ended overdue fines in recent years.
Charges for printing services, lost or damaged items will remain in place.
