Kalamazoo’s public library may go fine-free next year.
It would join a growing list of libraries around the country that have stopped charging late fees. Fines are supposed to motivate patrons to bring items back on time. But KPL’s Kevin King says in practice, those charges keep people away.
"They’ll get a fine and then they feel bad about it and they just don’t come back. And our take has always been, we would rather have you back as a library user. We want you to use this facility. We want you to use the library."
King says the library is especially concerned about patrons who can’t afford a fine. It’s expected to make a decision about dropping them this fall. Library users would still have to pay for lost books.