Kudos to the Warren Public Library for the recent decision to eliminate daily late fees for books that aren’t returned on time.

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

Kelli Knapp, library director, said other libraries that have gone fine free have reported an increase in foot traffic within their building along with an increase in circulation. Research shows overdue fines do not ensure borrowed materials end up back on shelves and none of the libraries which have eliminated overdue fines have experienced increases in late returns, longer hold times, or gaps in their collections.

It’s hard to argue with the library’s rationale. The point of a public library is to be as welcoming to the community as possible and to get reading materials into the hands of as many people as possible. If fine policies end up serving as a deterrent to library use then they are probably doing more harm than good.

At the same time, it’s up to library users not to take advantage of the library’s new policy. Some new materials may be very much in demand and shouldn’t disappear from the library’s shelves for months at a time. Others may be a neighbor’s old familiar friend on a cold winter’s day that shouldn’t be lost on someone’s book shelf. Some titles contain nuggets of knowledge that someone else may need to improve their lives.

We agree wholeheartedly with the library’s decision – but let’s not take advantage of the library’s decision, either.