Beginning New Year’s Day Winnipeg Library will no longer be charging late fines or borrowing fees for DVD/Blu-ray.
As part of the new operating model, those who have outstanding fines or fees will not have to pay them. Those who owe for lost or damaged items will still be on the hook.
The idea is that by removing the fines and fees the library is accessible to everyone without any fear of financial penalties. In the past some people avoided using library services or had negative experiences due to the penalty structure.
In a post on the library’s website it said that “Many libraries in North America have eliminated overdue fines, and have seen both significant increases in returned books and moderate decreases in late returns.”
Many libraries across Canada have adopted a fine-free model including Edmonton and Calgary earlier this year as well as Regina and Saskatoon as of January 1, 2021.
© News4.ca 2020
