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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Penny,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Stark has been operating with a no fines policy since September 2012. We have found that patrons return overdue items an average of 7.8 days past the due date.
However, if an item is on hold for another patron, they return requested items a half day sooner on average (7.4 days). The same number of “abusers” exist now as before we started no fines – 250 patrons out of 105,000 active patrons. The incentive to return
library materials remains the same – if they are not returned, you must pay for the item. We have found that 97% of patrons return their items on time or within an average of 7.8 days overdue. We are using hard data, not anecdotal stories -- which anyone who
works the front line will have. We realized we were setting up all of our rules for the 3% who abuse their public library. We also found that only 8-11% of our collection was “in use,” in the homes of residents who own the materials. We realized we aren’t
a book storage company and we wanted to remove what we could identify as barriers to use. The board and administration are very pleased with the results of the experiment and plan to continue to offer no fines.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">I would encourage anyone thinking about a no-fines policy to begin by checking what percentage of their collection is checked out. Then you will know if there
may be barriers that need to be removed to promote use.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Have a great Monday!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><br>
Tena<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><img width="256" height="112" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D1E0CE.73F00690" alt="SCDL_SA_ADMIN_Logo_email"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Tena Wilson<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Executive Director<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Stark County District Library<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">715 Market Ave N<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">Canton OH 44702<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">330.452-0665<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D">330.354.8013 Cell<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D"><a href="mailto:twilson@starklibrary.org"><span style="color:blue">mailto:twilson@starklibrary.org</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> Penny Neubauer [mailto:pneubauer@acdl.info]
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<b>Sent:</b> Monday, July 18, 2016 8:25 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Wenzel, Mary<br>
<b>Cc:</b> Don Yarman; oplinlist@lists.oplin.org<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [OPLINLIST] "No-Fine" Libraries<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">I’m curious to know what motivates patrons to return promptly items with holds, i.e. new release movies? Has this been a significant problem?<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">Penny Neubauer</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;color:black">Assistant Director/Deputy Fiscal Officer</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black">Ashtabula County District Library</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black">4335 Park Ave, Ashtabula, Ohio 44004</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:7.5pt;color:black">440.990.2322</span><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:8.5pt;color:black"><a href="http://www.acdl.info">www.acdl.info</a></span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#1900D3">Great things are happening @ ACDL!</span></b><span style="color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">On Jul 15, 2016, at 3:12 PM, Wenzel, Mary <<a href="mailto:wenzelm@limalibrary.com">wenzelm@limalibrary.com</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Hi, Don,<br>
<br>
Thanks for this reply. I was interested to hear from a no-fine library. We charge fines (.10 per day for books/$1.00 per day for DVDs and video games.) Patrons can accrue up to $5.00 in fines before their account is blocked for borrowing privileges, but
as long as they keep the fine at or below $4.99, there is no limit on their borrowing privileges. Fines do not affect a patron's use of Internet computers. In recent years staff has been empowered to reduce or waive fines at their discretion depending on
circumstances, since losing a patron or a whole family of patrons over fine monies that are not excessive is not in our long-term interest. <br>
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I’m curious about a few things which I would pose to any no-fine libraries: <br>
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1. If fines are eliminated to make library materials accessible to low income patrons, isn't billing for the full cost of the item 'relatively soon' more, not less punishing? What is the time frame for 'soon'? At our library, patrons are assessed the replacement
cost of the item after 90 days and no fewer than three official notices.<br>
2. What incentive is there to return items in that case? Does your staff have unlimited discretion to waive fines for all but lost materials?
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We've noticed something interesting here in Lima; Patrons will often complain about being assessed fines, yet every time we offer a fine amnesty day where we encourage patrons to read or look at magazines in house to earn $1 off their fines for every 30 minutes
read, or run a canned good drive for the local food pantry in exchange for money off fines for donations--patron response is very poor. By which I mean, no more than a few patrons (out of our database of 10s of thousands) participating. <br>
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Do you experience a lot of positive patron response to the no-fines structure and has it impacted (either positively or negatively) the numbers of items brought back on time?<br>
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Thanks for posting!<br>
<br>
Mary Wenzel, Youth Services<br>
Lima Public Library<br>
<br>
-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Don Yarman [<a href="mailto:yarmando@delawarelibrary.org">mailto:yarmando@delawarelibrary.org</a>]
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Sent: Friday, July 15, 2016 5:54 AM<br>
To: Janel Haas<br>
Cc: <a href="mailto:oplinlist@lists.oplin.org">oplinlist@lists.oplin.org</a><br>
Subject: Re: [OPLINLIST] "No-Fine" Libraries<br>
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<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">How long have you been “no-fine.”<o:p></o:p></p>
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The Delaware County District Library eliminated fines on print materials nearly 20 years ago. Late fees were set at $2.00 per day on VHS tapes, and that price continued on DVDs and videogames until this year, when we eliminated all fines except on items whose
policies we do not control (i.e. interlibrary loan fees).<br>
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<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Is it working?<o:p></o:p></p>
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Yes. We bill for the item cost relatively soon after the due date, and that cost blocks the card. But our goal is not to interrupt library use, so staff will find accommodations: renewing items to reset the clock, holding selected materials until the overdue
ones are returned, etc.<br>
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<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Do you have a way for people to donate in lieu of paying a fine (a
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donation jar at the circ desk?)<o:p></o:p></p>
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We do have a jar where patrons can give us "voluntary fines."<br>
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<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Has it increased circulation?<o:p></o:p></p>
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No.<br>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Any other thoughts you may have.<o:p></o:p></p>
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While fine revenue is not nothing, we all know it doesn't run the library. What it does do is provide a barrier to library services, particularly for the people whose economic situations make our services most valuable. Eliminating fines not only let us stop
punishing our poorer patrons, it also clarified our priorities and eased the work on the staff: because we care about the materials, not the penalties, staff had the freedom to waive fines but not lost material charges. This can be confusing both to the staff
and to the patrons. Now, balances against patron accounts are only lost material charges, which go away completely when items are returned.<br>
<br>
Don Yarman, Deputy Director<br>
Delaware County District Library<br>
84 E Winter St; Delaware OH 43015<br>
<a href="mailto:yarmando@delawarelibrary.org">yarmando@delawarelibrary.org</a> 740.362.3861<br>
<br>
Currently listening to "Last Call" by Tim Powers.<br>
<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
OPLINLIST mailing list -- <a href="mailto:OPLINLIST@lists.oplin.org">OPLINLIST@lists.oplin.org</a><br>
<a href="http://lists.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplinlist">http://lists.oplin.org/mailman/listinfo/oplinlist</a><br>
<br>
<a href="http://aboutbooks.info">http://aboutbooks.info</a> -- Search for author, title, subject... anything about books.<o:p></o:p></p>
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