Your Library Fine-Free IS NOW !

Article and Photos by Emily Orischak, Community Relations Coordinator, Berks County Public Libraries

At the start of 2023, all libraries of the Berks County Public Library System welcomed the new year by eliminating late fines on their traditional library materials and clearing all patron accounts of past fines.

What does this mean for you?

If your library account had accrued fines from late items, you now have a clean slate to borrow from your library again! The Berks County Commissioners partnered with local libraries to help give everyone a fresh start at their library by clearing fines from all accounts.

It’s important to note that there may be some accounts which have fees associated with them from items that were damaged or never returned to the library. Fees are different from fines and will remain on the account until resolved. Patrons who have fees are encouraged to contact their library about a possible solution.

Late vs Lost

While there will no longer be late fines for traditional library items returned a few days after their due dates, late fines will still be in place for specialty materials, including:

• Library of Things materials

• Museum/Admission passes

• Inter-Library Loans (from outside of the system)

• Technology

• Equipment

After so many days of not being returned, a long-overdue item will become marked as lost and the replacement fee is added to the library card account.

Welcome back to the library!

If you’ve stopped using your library due to overdue fines, we would like to invite you back to the library. You may be surprised to see what your library has to offer, including electronic media from its digital collection, free access to databases such as Ancestry.com, and household tools & equipment you can borrow with your library card from the Library of Things collection. Learn more about the fine-free change and see what is available at your library by visiting www.berkslibraries.org.

Borrow more than 30,000 titles from your library’s digital collection.

Borrow different crafting tools from your library like knitting needles, resin casting molds, and even a Cricut EasyPress (pictured).

Find yard games like these bocce ball and pickle ball sets by exploring the Library of Things collection online.