Late fees at Phoenix Public Library branches are going away this month.

The 17-branch system that serves more than 1 million cardholders is doing away with overdue fines on books and other materials on Nov. 18. 

Phoenix counts itself as the largest city in the county to join the fine-free trend.

In Arizona, Flagstaff City-Coconino County and Maricopa County library districts have already done so. Scottsdale and Tempe are exploring the possibility. 

Lee Franklin, a Phoenix Public Library spokeswoman, said there isn’t research that shows late fines compel people to return materials faster. 

“What it ends up doing is disproportionately affecting communities that might have income insecurity or people with low incomes,” she said.

The small late fines of 10 cents a day for children’s items and 20 cents a day for all other materials can add up.

“We want to make sure that people don’t have to choose between paying an overdue fine or eating for the rest of the month,” Franklin said. 

Late fines account for less than 1% of Phoenix Public Library’s budget, bringing in about $200,000 a year, Franklin said. 

How it will work

Phoenix libraries will forgive existing overdue fines and eliminate such charges going forward.

Replacement and damaged item fines will continue.

Each checked-out book still will have a return date and the library will notify users when materials are overdue.

A cardholder who goes 51 days without returning the book will be billed a replacement fee, which would be waived upon return.

The Maricopa County Library District has seen no change in wait times for materials since its late fee policy was discarded in May, spokesperson Andrew Tucker said.  

“The response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Tucker said. “People are able to be responsible without having the threat of a fine over their heads.”

Library users weigh in

Kirstie Almanza supports the new policy.

She visits the Burton Barr Library in downtown Phoenix four days a week with her three young daughters to read, study, work and play.

When it’s time to leave, she will occasionally allow one of her children to check out books and movies, but it can be risky.

“Sometimes my kids will misplace books, or I’ll forget about it,” Almanza said. “And I’m a single parent so it’s like I’ve got to worry whether I’m going to have extra money that’s coming out of my pocket.”

Almanza said having the fines forgiven will take that burden off her shoulders, and allow her kids to check out materials more freely.

But not all think eliminating library late fees is a good thing.

Andrew Olvera and his grandsons Nathaniel and Noah hurry to the library after school every Wednesday.

He said the library teaches his grandkids how to read and a sense of responsibility with the late fines.

“They can get their own books under their own account,” he said. “So they have to take care of that account. They made a commitment that if they’re going to take a book, they have to be responsible for the book and return it on time.”

OPINION: Phoenix is dropping overdue library book fines. That’s a shame

Olvera said he worries that without the late fines, people will take advantage of the library’s materials.

Other cities such as Glendale, Buckeye, Avondale and Peoria are monitoring how the trend plays out in Phoenix and the county library systems before deciding whether to go fine-free. 

Reach the reporter by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at @MackenzieShuman. 

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