A desire to lower barriers to service is the motivation behind the Warren Public Library’s decision to eliminate daily late fees.

The change took effect Jan. 1 and includes a forgiveness of any accrued daily fines.

“Going fine free was one that, as a staff, we all felt was a wonderful idea,” Director Kelli Knapp told the Times Observer.

“Life happens,” she added. “If your material is a couple of days late, you shouldn’t be punished for that.”

While the individuals who had outstanding fines are almost assuredly grateful for the change, the potential impact is thought to be broader than that.

“Other public libraries that have gone fine free have reported an increase in foot traffic within their building, along with an increase in circulation,” Knapp said. “We want to offer our materials to the entire community that we serve, and for some people, overdue fines may result in them not feeling welcome at the library.”

She cited a report from the San Francisco Public Library – one of “many sources” that Library staff incorporated in the decision making process.

“Research shows overdue fines do not ensure borrowed materials end up back on shelves,” that report states. “While late returns are a reality facing every library community, none of the libraries which have eliminated overdue fines have experienced increases in late returns, longer hold times, or gaps in the collection. In fact, one library saw its late return rate drop from 9 percent to 4 percent following fine elimination.”

The report concluded that “if it were the case that fines promoted responsibility, but restricted access, the library would be duty-bound to prioritize access….Fines may not help prevent occasional late returns, and they punish individuals without financial resources to spare.”

When the Warren Public Library announced the change, they cited data that shows removing fines doesn’t appear to lead to a significant increase in overdue materials.

That seems almost counterintuitive but it doesn’t appear to be a concern at this point.

“Our team feels as though most people are inherently good,” Knapp said. “They know when they take a book out from the library that they’re borrowing it and it needs to be returned.”

“If it’s a new title, most borrowers understand that others may want that material, so it’s important to take it back in a timely manner,” she explained.

The procedure for when materials aren’t returned does remain in place.

“There are people who will choose not to return materials,” Knapp acknowledged. “Our old process remains in place for this. The patron is billed and is assessed a $5 processing fee, which was always our procedure.”