The Patten Free Library is happy to announce that as of July 1, the Bath library will no longer collect overdue fines on most library materials. In doing so, the library joins the ranks of many public libraries in Maine and acts in accordance with the American Library Association’s Resolution on Monetary Library Fines as a Form of Social Inequity (2019).
Patten Free Library values free and equal access to materials and information for all. In eliminating monetary fines, the library aims to remove a barrier to service. It will still collect payment for lost or damaged books, and some fines will remain in place for special items in its collection, which fall outside of standard loan policies. However, most items will no longer accrue late fines. The Patten Free Library believes that eliminating most overdue fines will help the library improve the quality of life in the communities it serve by promoting literacy and opportunity for all ages, without penalty, according to a prepared release.
The fine-free initiative is made possible by the generous support from the Davenport Trust Fund. The library will still need and rely on the continued generosity of supporters to the Annual Fund to continue its work. At the center of this work is the library’s relationship with its communities. To learn more about Patten Free Library’s programs and services, visit patten.lib.me.us.
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