Chicago doubling its library fines

One more cost will soon be going up for many Chicago residents and families.

Starting Jan. 1, the Chicago Public Library will double the daily fine for overdue library books to 20 cents instead of the current dime. If you return the book very late, you'll face a top fine of $10 instead of $5. Lose a book and you'll still have to pay the full replacement cost.

The doubling is the first fine increase proposed by the Chicago Public Library since 1991.

The new fine will be in the same range as other major urban library systems. The New York Public Library charges 25 cents a day, while the fee is 30 cents in Los Angeles and 15 cents in Seattle.

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