A South Coast library has pulled the plug on fines for overdue materials. It’s part of a growing trend among libraries around the country. The Santa Barbara Public Library has said goodbye to fines.
Library officials say that fines limit access to lower income residents. And, they say they aren’t cost effective. People who have existing fines still have to pay up, but new fines ended as of July 1st.
And, if you fail to return materials, after a certain period of time you will be billed for replacing them. Eliminating the fines will actually free up staff members to spend more time on library programs.
