The city of Lewisville announced Friday that the Lewisville Public Library “is proud to announce that effective today, all existing overdue fines are forgiven, and the library will no longer charge overdue fines for materials returned late.”
Under the new system, instead of imposing a fine when a patron fails to return something on time, the library will place a temporary freeze on the patron’s library card. The library card will become active again once the overdue items are returned or successfully renewed. The change is part of the city’s “continued efforts to promote library access, especially among communities that need library services the most,” according to the news release from the city.
“The Lewisville Public Library joins a nationwide movement to eliminate overdue fines,” the city said. “In 2019, the American Library Association passed a resolution recognizing fines as a form of ‘social inequity.’ Libraries across the country have seen an increase in returns and library card sign-ups following the elimination of overdue fines.”
Overdue fines for mobile hotspots and other fees, such as damage fees, will remain. Patrons still will pay replacement fees for lost materials, which will be considered lost after being overdue for more than 30 days, according to the city. If materials are returned between 30-90 days overdue, the replacement fee will be waived and only a $5 processing fee will remain.
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