Library fines could be eliminated
By Journalist Kennedy Thomason (OSU)
Rep. Wall (ORU) answers questions concerning library fines.
Say goodbye to library fines.
The “Free Education” Act, presented by Rep. Wall (ORU), aims to eliminate public library fines.
“I think, historically, that people respond better to not having the pressure to return library books and being afraid of a fine,” Wall said.
The bill, taking effect 90 days after passage, would cease fines for Oklahoma’s public library patrons.
As an education major, this bill sits close to Rep. Wall’s heart. She hopes this bill will encourage learning.
“I want to make sure that everyone, regardless of their socioeconomic status, has access to education,” Wall said. “And I think something that everything can agree on is that books are really important for education. I want to make sure that any student, any person, because everybody is a student no matter how old you are, has access to books and has access to learning for free and that there is nothing in place, no barriers in place, that would prevent somebody from being able to use those resources.”
Fines can impact low-income individuals. If they accumulate fines, these individuals may not return to the library due to their inability to pay the fee.
Rep. Wall emphasized the minimal impact of fines on a public library’s revenue.
“I know that a lot of people are worried about where the funding would come from, but just something that is interesting to note is that library fines make up less than one percent of the revenue in a library, so it really has very little impact on the library system, ” Wall said.
Many public libraries have implemented systems to eliminate or reduce fines for patrons. Programs such as paying off fines through donations or logging reading hours are lessening fines.
“Chicago libraries reportedly saw a 240-percent increase in book returns within the first month of going fine-free,” according to ProQuest, a collection of databases.
The bill provides for penalties; any library that enforces fines will be investigated, and all fines will be refunded to those charged.
Rep. Wall also explained how the bill would continue to hold patrons accountable for materials they check out.
“Something that this bill would do is that if you lose or damage a library book, you would still have to pay to replace that book with a fine, just like we have right now,” Wall said.
The “Free Education” Act passed the House in a vote of 48-9 and is headed to the Senate.