Overdue Fines Nixed At All Naperville Public Library Locations

NAPERVILLE, IL — As of June 1, the Naperville Public Library has eliminated fines for overdue items at all of its locations in an effort to prevent "barriers to access" for children and low-income families, Naperville Public Library Executive Director Dave Della Terza said in a news release.

Della Terza added that 25 percent of the cards the libraries suspend for overdue items belong to children who are younger than 14 years old. He said, "Our goal is to get books and materials back into the hands of our community members who need them the most."

Patrons will still face consequences if they hold onto items they checked out past the due date. Seven days after an item's due date, the library will lock the account that was used to check out the item. Returning the item will lift the account lock.

Library patrons must still pay a replacement fee for books and other media that are lost, damaged or stolen. Customer accounts will automatically be charged a replacement fee if an item is not returned within 45 days of its due date. Returning the item up to 119 days past its due date will result in a refund.

More than 120 days past the due date, the library will no longer accept the returned item or offer a refund.

Naperville Public Library joins libraries in several surrounding suburbs in its move to eliminate fines for overdue items. The press release noted that overdue fines currently make up 1 to 2 percent of Naperville Public Library's revenue and do not affect its ability to "maintain a healthy, responsible budget."

Della Terza said, "Eliminating overdue fines will allow our staff to focus on having positive interactions with our customers and providing other important services to our community without affecting Napervillians’ tax rate."