The Pennsauken Free Public Library is now officially fine-free! As of Monday, April 4, the library will no longer charge daily overdue fines for items, and previous fines accrued for overdue materials will be removed from patrons’ records. The library’s mission is to provide free and open access to information, services, technology, and programming. By removing the barrier to access created by fines, the library can further its mission and better meet the needs of the community.

“Pennsauken is joining other progressive libraries across the country that have eliminated fines as a way to promote equal access to library resources without barriers,” Library Director Tanya Finney Estrada said. “In an effort to create a welcoming environment for all community members, we hope that the removal of daily fines will encourage all Pennsauken residents to utilize the breadth of resources available at the

library, and that no one will be deterred from using the library due to overdue fines.”

In 2019 the American Library Association issued a “Resolution on Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Inequity” and stated that “the imposition of monetary library fines creates a barrier to the provision of library and information services.” Multiple studies have shown that fines disproportionately impact low-income residents, children, and families. Rather than motivating prompt returns, fines discourage many residents from borrowing materials altogether. Those who could benefit the most from the library’s resources are thus discouraged from accessing them.

Pennsauken’s new fines and fees policy eliminates daily fines for overdue materials, but it does not completely remove penalties for overdue items. Patrons who have overdue items on their account will be unable to check out new materials until they have returned the overdue items. Furthermore, patrons will still be charged for the replacement of lost items or items that are overdue beyond 35 days. Extended use fees will remain on some high demand items with limited availability, such as the museum pass program and technology. Materials that are owned by other libraries and borrowed through interlibrary loan will still be subject to fines as indicated by the lending institution.

Please visit the library’s website at pennsaukenlibrary.org for more information and the details of the new fines and fees policy and borrowing policy.