PITTSBURGH — Joining a growing trend hoping to reignite the spirit of book-borrowing across the country, the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and its 19 branches are no longer charging late fees on rentals.
Not only is the library system trying to remove barriers to access for future borrowers, but it's also forgiving the fines on about 38,000 cards that have accrued penalties in the past, said Mary Monaghan, director of public services.
"You always hear these stories from people who say, 'I have a fine from third grade and can't go back,'" Monaghan said. "We don't want people to think that."
The idea started from a desire to increase access to the community; in 2019, three Carnegie Library locations — Knoxville, East Liberty and Allegheny — joined a pilot program with the Allegheny County Library Association to go fine-free.
To judge the effectiveness of the pilot, library leaders kept a close eye on its impact on borrowing and fundraising, Monaghan said. When it came time to make a final decision on whether to adopt it permanently, "it was really kind of a no-brainer," she added.
"We did see people return to the library, we did see people donate more money to the library, and there were really no adverse effects with any of it," Monaghan said.
To those who expect the system of borrowing to collapse and for people to simply keep the books in hand for months on end, Monaghan counters that by citing research that shows fines have no impact on return rates. Rather, it proves to be detrimental, scaring away borrowers who fear paying fines, she noted.
The library will continue to enforce due dates, though, and if the book is deemed "lost" after many reminders and numerous automatic renewals, borrowers will have to pay a bill for the missing item.
In a recent letter to the Post-Gazette, Amy Anderson, CEO of the Allegheny County Library Association, said the success of the fine-free program in that system — at its 21 participating libraries — has "resulted in increased circulation and patron registrations beyond initial expectations."
Anderson said in seven of nine pilot libraries, total circulation increased by nearly 14%, while new library card registrations jumped 15%.
"While some may suggest this newfound leniency will only encourage bad behavior, that has not been the case. There has been no evidence to suggest libraries participating in a fine free program have seen a significant change in the rate of unreturned items," Anderson added.
Monaghan said the change to the Pittsburgh system will have a negligible impact on the library's budget. Fines accounted for less than 1% of the overall budget, she said.
