SPOKANE, Wash. — The Spokane Public Library has erased overdue fees for 13,279 customers and restored borrowing privileges to 212 customers, 23 of which are children.
According to a release from Spokane Public Library spokeswoman Amanda Donovan, the move comes after the library's Board of Trustees voted in May 2019 to eliminate overdue fines for customers. When they decided to erase the customers' debts, 17 percent, or 20,237, customers had outstanding fees due to overdue, damaged or lost books.
“Our community is stronger and healthier when people have access to the programs, services, and materials they need to pursue their educational, career, family, and life goals,” Executive Director Andrew Chanse is quoted as saying in the release.. “We hope this will encourage prior users to come back to the library and attract new users to experience our offerings.”
Part of the reasoning behind the decision stemmed from the fact that about 60 percent of overdue fees are never paid, according to the release. The total amount of debt from overdue fees stood at $290,466 in Nov. 2019, according to the release.
The library still has 6,958 customers with fees on their accounts, but these are due to lost or damaged books and cannot be waived, according to the library.
