AHPL Goes Fine Free!
AHPL cardholders can say goodbye to late fees as we join the national movement to stop charging overdue fines.
Here are the details:
- Fine Free status will be given to AHPL cardholders.
- Late fees will not be charged for most items owned by AHPL.
- Technology Equipment, including but not limited to; hotspots, laptops, and iPads are exempt and will incur late fees. Hotspots and iPads will be disabled if overdue.
What are the benefits of going fine free? Being fine free allows us to provide a more equitable experience for all of the people in our community. We want to encourage people to enjoy coming to the Library and welcome back those who have stayed away because of a fine on their account.
Do items still have due dates? Yes, each item will still have a due date which you should honor or opt to renew your items. Auto-renew automatically renews items twice if no one else puts a hold on them. Items borrowed through the MeL system auto-renew once.
What if I currently have late fees on my account? We have waived all existing late fees on materials previously checked out.
Will I be charged if I check out items borrowed from a library that hasn’t gone fine free? Yes. If you check out an item at the AHPL brought in from another library that has not gone fine free, you will be charged a fine from that owning library.
How will overdue items be treated now? Fees for items that are lost or damaged still apply. Even though you will not be charged a late fee, any items that are 21 days overdue will be classified as “lost”, and your account will be blocked from any further checkouts until you return the item. The account block includes self-check and access to our digital downloads and databases.
How will the Library recoup the funds received from late fees? Late fees account for only a very small percentage (approximately 0.5%) of our operating budget, and this number has decreased over time, especially with our auto-renew service.
Will I have to wait longer for popular items to be returned? Libraries that have gone fine free have not seen any difference in when items are returned. Most items are returned within a week of their due date, and AHPL will be adding multiple copies of popular titles to decrease waitlists.
For any questions or concerns that you may have, please feel free to contact our Circulation Department at 248.370.8121
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