The Grand County Public Library is now late-fee free.
As of Monday, Jan. 1, 2018, library users will no longer be charged overdue fees for items returned after their due date, and old late fees will be removed from library accounts.
The Grand County Public Library Board and library staffers said they are excited about the change because they believe that the library belongs to the community, and should be easily accessed with as few barriers as possible.
“Late fees do not encourage returns or bring financial benefit to the library, but they have been shown to negatively impact children and community members with limited financial resources,” library officials said in a statement. “This puts overdue fees at odds with the Grand County Public Library’s commitment to provide all community members with excellent customer service and equitable access to information and library services.”
In libraries across the nation, studies and anecdotal evidence have overwhelmingly shown that library users do not return items because of late fees; they return items because they are due or they are finished. Eliminating late fees supports early literacy, improves customer and staff experience, increases library usage, and reflects the values upheld and supported by the American Library Association, the library said.
Grand County Public Library items will still have due dates and must be returned or renewed on or before those dates. Items can be renewed in person, over the phone at 435-259-1111 or by logging in to your library account at www.moablibrary.org.
Materials can be renewed up to two times unless another library patron is waiting for a particular item. Checked-out items that are past due must be renewed or returned before patrons can borrow more library materials. If an item is kept well past its due date, the individual who checked it out is responsible for that item and will be charged its replacement cost. Returning items to the library will cancel any replacement charges associated with overdue materials.
The Grand County Public Library can send due date reminders via email or text message if requested. Text message reminders are a new service that the library is offering; anyone who would like to sign up to receive the reminders can do so at: https://tinyurl.com/gcpl-text.
“It is with much excitement that we are removing overdue fees and the barriers to library service that they cause,” library officials said. “The library is incredibly grateful for all the support that comes from Grand County taxpayers and donors. The elimination of late fees is one way we can say thank you to the community for their ongoing support.”
