Poplar Creek Library Closes Chapter on Overdue Fines

The Poplar Creek Public Library District’s Board of Trustees voted unanimously at its July meeting to eliminate overdue fines on library materials, joining a growing national movement to remove financial barriers to public library access.

Under the new policy, patrons will no longer be charged daily overdue fines on borrowed materials. Replacement costs for lost or damaged items and fees for nonlibrary services such as passport applications, meeting room rentals and exam proctoring remain in place. Poplar Creek expects the change to bring hundreds of lapsed cardholders back to the library, increase new patron registrations and increase library use and circulation.

“As our digital circulation has grown, the argument for keeping overdue fines on physical materials just doesn’t hold up anymore. We’re not giving up meaningful revenue because that revenue was already declining,” said Jose Maldonado, executive director of the Poplar Creek Public Library District. “This drop is due in part to the popularity of digital resources, which automatically expire and therefore do not generate overdue fines.”

A report for the board of trustees developed by senior staff members, including Access Services Manager Tawnee Strobbe, demonstrated that overdue fines account for less than 0.12% of the district’s total budgeted revenue. The data presented to the board revealed a compelling equity dimension. Of the more than 5,000 patron accounts that were currently carrying fines or fees, 1,300 — more than one in four — belong to children or teens. Nearly 400 young patrons were blocked from borrowing library materials entirely.

“A young person who can’t borrow books because of an overdue balance doesn’t stop needing information. They just stop coming to the library. Going fine free means every student in our service area has a library card that actually works,” Deputy Director of Public Services Kandice Krettler said.

Poplar Creek joins many neighboring library districts across Cook, DuPage and Kane counties that have already adopted fine-free policies. The announcement comes as Poplar Creek celebrates September’s Library Card Sign Up Month, and the district is encouraging former patrons, especially those who stayed away due to fines, to return and renew their cards.