No fines, no problem for Cedar Rapids Public Library

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - After dropping late fees in 2020, the Cedar Rapids Public Library has seen an increase in materials returned, contrary to fears when the library eliminated most late fees.

“Overdue fines do not work,” the report from library staff released Monday states. “Patrons do not return materials any later than they used to. They place an unnecessary burden on low-income patrons and block access to the folks that need it the most. Beyond the numbers and statistics, staff do not have those thousands of negative interactions about overdue fines and can focus on transformative work and equitable service.

The Cedar Rapids library eliminated fees in 2020, hoping to eliminate disparities in library cards blocked because of late fees and increase access for low-income patrons. Instead, the library will only report late items worth $20 or more to a collection agency and only 25 days after notifying the person who checked out the items. If the items are returned within 6 months, those fees are waived.

In materials prepared for a Cedar Rapids library board meeting this week, staff report 88.5% of library materials were returned on time over the past year compared to 89% of materials before the elimination of late fees. At the same time, the rate of items reported to collection agencies that are then returned has steadily risen.

The number of cards blocked because of late fees has also plummeted from 16,000 to below 8,000. That’s largely due to the library forgiving late fees more than 3 years old in May 2020 - but the number of blocked cars has continued to trickle lower since then, too. Cards now are only blocked if an item valued over $20 is not returned.

Several other area libraries have also dropped fees, including Marion, Iowa City, Dubuque and Des Moines.

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