Fines & Port Hedland #132

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## Library fines punish the poor and don't work
Library fines are a flat charge disproportionately impacting people who are most likely to have difficulty maintaining a reliably-scheduled life and least likely to be able to pay — that is, people with insecure work and housing.
There have been few studies on the effectiveness of library fines in the last decade, and most were in academic libraries. They tend to indicate either a very minor statistically significant effect on rates of items being returned on time, or no correlation at all. On the other hand, libraries that remove overdue fines anecdotally report:
* Large increases in borrowing and general use of the library;
* Significant improvements in the public perception of and satisfaction with the library.
So the onus should be on those arguing to retain fines to prove that _fining people for returning items late actually works_ as an effective incentive for timely return of items compared to other less punitive approaches.
"Removing overdue fines" does not equal "No consequences for returning items late or not returning them at all". Equally, "Fining for overdues" does not equal "All items are eventually returned".
Every library, regardless of whether they impose fines or not, has a level of "shrinkage" in the collection that has to eventually be written off. Typically libraries that have removed fines (and indeed also those that haven't) use some or all of the following techniques to get things flowing through the system:
* reminder notices (via email, SMS and sometimes post) just before and at various points after the due date;
* limits on total loans so that people can't take out hundreds of items and disappear;
* restrictions on new borrowing if any items are overdue;
* restrictions on use of all library services (e.g. WiFi, PCs, placing a hold on an item) if any items are overdue;
* items declared lost and a "lost item" invoice sent after they are due for a certain number of days (typically 60, sometimes as low as 30)
* incentives such as increased borrowing or reservation limits for borrowers who do not have any overdues for a certain period of time (e.g. in the previous year)
### Further reading
- Ayre, Lori Bowen (2019), [Cents and Sensibility: Late fees do not belong in public libraries](https://digitalcommons.du.edu/collaborativelibrarianship/vol11/iss2/3/), _Collaborative Librarianship_: Vol. 11 : Iss. 2;
- Unrein, Sabrina. (2020). [Overdue Fines: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How Eliminating Them Can Benefit Public Libraries.](https://ischool.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Overdue-Fines-Advantages-Disadvantages-and-How-Eliminating-Them-Can-Benefit-Public-Libraries.pdf) Syracuse, NY: iSchool Public Libraries Initiative at Syracuse University.

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<nav> <nav>
<ul> <ul>
<li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="/fines">Fines</a></li>
<li class="active-tab">About</li> <li class="active-tab">About</li>
<li><a href="/sources">Acknowledgements</a></li> <li><a href="/sources">Acknowledgements</a></li>
<li><a href="/contributing">How you can help</a></li> <li><a href="/contributing">How you can help</a></li>

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<nav> <nav>
<ul> <ul>
<li><a href="/">Home</a></li> <li><a href="/">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="/fines">Fines</a></li>
<li><a href="/about">About</a></li> <li><a href="/about">About</a></li>
<li><a href="/sources">Acknowledgements</a></li> <li><a href="/sources">Acknowledgements</a></li>
<li class="active-tab">How you can help</li> <li class="active-tab">How you can help</li>

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@ -393,7 +393,7 @@ Perenjori Shire Council,Perenjori,wa,,4,SumWare Athenaeum,https://perenjori.wa.g
Perth City Council,Perth,wa,yes,3,SirsiDynix Symphony,https://www.perth.wa.gov.au/live-and-work/community-services-and-facilities/city-of-perth-library, Perth City Council,Perth,wa,yes,3,SirsiDynix Symphony,https://www.perth.wa.gov.au/live-and-work/community-services-and-facilities/city-of-perth-library,
Pingelly Shire Council,Pingelly,wa,,2,OCLC Amlib,https://www.pingelly.wa.gov.au/services/facilities/library.aspx, Pingelly Shire Council,Pingelly,wa,,2,OCLC Amlib,https://www.pingelly.wa.gov.au/services/facilities/library.aspx,
Plantagenet Shire Council,Plantagenet,wa,,4,Civica Spydus,https://www.plantagenet.wa.gov.au/community/facilities/library-services.aspx, Plantagenet Shire Council,Plantagenet,wa,,4,Civica Spydus,https://www.plantagenet.wa.gov.au/community/facilities/library-services.aspx,
Port Hedland Town Council,Port Hedland,wa,,3,Civica Spydus,https://www.porthedland.wa.gov.au/our-community/facilities/town-of-port-hedland-libraries.aspx, Port Hedland Town Council,Port Hedland,wa,yes,3,Civica Spydus,https://www.porthedland.wa.gov.au/our-community/facilities/town-of-port-hedland-libraries.aspx,
Quairading Shire Council,Quairading,wa,,3,OCLC Amlib,https://www.quairading.wa.gov.au/council/facilities.aspx, Quairading Shire Council,Quairading,wa,,3,OCLC Amlib,https://www.quairading.wa.gov.au/council/facilities.aspx,
Ravensthorpe Shire Council,Ravensthorpe,wa,,2,OCLC Amlib,https://www.hopetounwa.com/hopetoun-public-library, Ravensthorpe Shire Council,Ravensthorpe,wa,,2,OCLC Amlib,https://www.hopetounwa.com/hopetoun-public-library,
Rockingham City Council,Rockingham,wa,no,4,Civica Spydus,https://rockingham.wa.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/libraries, Rockingham City Council,Rockingham,wa,no,4,Civica Spydus,https://rockingham.wa.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/libraries,

1 long_name name state fines standard_loan_weeks ILS website
393 Perth City Council Perth wa yes 3 SirsiDynix Symphony https://www.perth.wa.gov.au/live-and-work/community-services-and-facilities/city-of-perth-library
394 Pingelly Shire Council Pingelly wa 2 OCLC Amlib https://www.pingelly.wa.gov.au/services/facilities/library.aspx
395 Plantagenet Shire Council Plantagenet wa 4 Civica Spydus https://www.plantagenet.wa.gov.au/community/facilities/library-services.aspx
396 Port Hedland Town Council Port Hedland wa yes 3 Civica Spydus https://www.porthedland.wa.gov.au/our-community/facilities/town-of-port-hedland-libraries.aspx
397 Quairading Shire Council Quairading wa 3 OCLC Amlib https://www.quairading.wa.gov.au/council/facilities.aspx
398 Ravensthorpe Shire Council Ravensthorpe wa 2 OCLC Amlib https://www.hopetounwa.com/hopetoun-public-library
399 Rockingham City Council Rockingham wa no 4 Civica Spydus https://rockingham.wa.gov.au/facilities-and-recreation/libraries

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@ -1125,7 +1125,7 @@ lat,lng,town,address,phone
-35.580226928947,148.300985754217,Talbingo Library,Lampe Street,02 6949 5344 -35.580226928947,148.300985754217,Talbingo Library,Lampe Street,02 6949 5344
-20.41217,118.60159,South Hedland Public Library,Leake Street,9158 9373 -20.41217,118.60159,South Hedland Public Library,Leake Street,9158 9373
-27.717105,150.371128,Moonie Library,Leichhardt Highway,07 4665 0189 -27.717105,150.371128,Moonie Library,Leichhardt Highway,07 4665 0189
-20.30181,118.63308,Port Hedland Public Library,"Len Tapin Memorial Centre, Dempster Street",9158 9378 -20.30181,118.63308,Port Hedland Public Library,"Port Hedland Boulevard, Anderson Street",9158 9378
-33.8777188649171,151.243833149274,Woollahra Library at Double Bay,"Level 1, 451 New South Head Road",02 9391 7100 -33.8777188649171,151.243833149274,Woollahra Library at Double Bay,"Level 1, 451 New South Head Road",02 9391 7100
-33.8740728108307,151.223540599569,Kings Cross Library,"Level 1, 50-52 Darlinghurst Road",02 9246 4530 -33.8740728108307,151.223540599569,Kings Cross Library,"Level 1, 50-52 Darlinghurst Road",02 9246 4530
-34.4861018152477,150.888392606759,Warrawong District Library,"Level 1, 67-71 King Street",02 4227 8133 -34.4861018152477,150.888392606759,Warrawong District Library,"Level 1, 67-71 King Street",02 4227 8133

1 lat lng town address phone
1125 -35.580226928947 148.300985754217 Talbingo Library Lampe Street 02 6949 5344
1126 -20.41217 118.60159 South Hedland Public Library Leake Street 9158 9373
1127 -27.717105 150.371128 Moonie Library Leichhardt Highway 07 4665 0189
1128 -20.30181 118.63308 Port Hedland Public Library Len Tapin Memorial Centre, Dempster Street Port Hedland Boulevard, Anderson Street 9158 9378
1129 -33.8777188649171 151.243833149274 Woollahra Library at Double Bay Level 1, 451 New South Head Road 02 9391 7100
1130 -33.8740728108307 151.223540599569 Kings Cross Library Level 1, 50-52 Darlinghurst Road 02 9246 4530
1131 -34.4861018152477 150.888392606759 Warrawong District Library Level 1, 67-71 King Street 02 4227 8133

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<h2 id="library-fines-punish-the-poor-and-dont-work">Library fines punish the poor and dont work</h2>
<p>Library fines are a flat charge disproportionately impacting people who are most likely to have difficulty maintaining a reliably-scheduled life and least likely to be able to pay — that is, people with insecure work and housing.</p>
<p>There have been few studies on the effectiveness of library fines in the last decade, and most were in academic libraries. They tend to indicate either a very minor statistically significant effect on rates of items being returned on time, or no correlation at all. On the other hand, libraries that remove overdue fines anecdotally report:</p>
<ul>
<li>Large increases in borrowing and general use of the library;</li>
<li>Significant improvements in the public perception of and satisfaction with the library.</li>
</ul>
<p>So the onus should be on those arguing to retain fines to prove that <em>fining people for returning items late actually works</em> as an effective incentive for timely return of items compared to other less punitive approaches.</p>
<p>“Removing overdue fines” does not equal “No consequences for returning items late or not returning them at all”. Equally, “Fining for overdues” does not equal “All items are eventually returned”.</p>
<p>Every library, regardless of whether they impose fines or not, has a level of “shrinkage” in the collection that has to eventually be written off. Typically libraries that have removed fines (and indeed also those that havent) use some or all of the following techniques to get things flowing through the system:</p>
<ul>
<li>reminder notices (via email, SMS and sometimes post) just before and at various points after the due date;</li>
<li>limits on total loans so that people cant take out hundreds of items and disappear;</li>
<li>restrictions on new borrowing if any items are overdue;</li>
<li>restrictions on use of all library services (e.g. WiFi, PCs, placing a hold on an item) if any items are overdue;</li>
<li>items declared lost and a “lost item” invoice sent after they are due for a certain number of days (typically 60, sometimes as low as 30)</li>
<li>incentives such as increased borrowing or reservation limits for borrowers who do not have any overdues for a certain period of time (e.g. in the previous year)</li>
</ul>
<h3 id="further-reading">Further reading</h3>
<ul>
<li>Ayre, Lori Bowen (2019), <a href="https://digitalcommons.du.edu/collaborativelibrarianship/vol11/iss2/3/">Cents and Sensibility: Late fees do not belong in public libraries</a>, <em>Collaborative Librarianship</em>: Vol. 11 : Iss. 2;</li>
<li>Unrein, Sabrina. (2020). <a href="https://ischool.syr.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Overdue-Fines-Advantages-Disadvantages-and-How-Eliminating-Them-Can-Benefit-Public-Libraries.pdf">Overdue Fines: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How Eliminating Them Can Benefit Public Libraries.</a> Syracuse, NY: iSchool Public Libraries Initiative at Syracuse University.</li>
</ul>
</section>
</main>
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<p>This website and the data it uses licensed <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC-BY-4.0</a>
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<li><a href="/sources">Acknowledgements</a></li> <li><a href="/sources">Acknowledgements</a></li>
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<nav> <nav>
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<li><a href="/about">About</a></li> <li><a href="/about">About</a></li>
<li class="active-tab">Acknowledgements</li> <li class="active-tab">Acknowledgements</li>
<li><a href="/contributing">How you can help</a></li> <li><a href="/contributing">How you can help</a></li>