Fine Free Library
The St. Charles Parish Library is officially fine free beginning January 1, 2021!
We join a growing number of public libraries across Louisiana and the country that are going fine free. The experiences of these libraries have shown that charging overdue fines has little to no impact on materials being returned. In fact, these libraries report that more borrowed items were returned and more people visited the library when they stopped charging overdue fines!
The mission of the St. Charles Parish Library is to empower our community to explore, learn, create, and connect. Eliminating late fines reinforces our mission because we want everyone to feel welcome at the library. Late fines of any amount can be a real barrier to access for many people and make them less likely to use the library.
Of course, no fines does not equal no responsibility! There are still due dates on all items, and we will still charge for any damaged or lost materials.
So if something is overdue, simply bring it back to the library. There will be no questions asked, and you will not be charged! We want you back at the library in 2021 and beyond. See you soon.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, all library items will still have due dates, and we will renew your items for you twice (for a total of six weeks) as long as no one else puts it on hold.
We will also provide reminders by telephone and mail when your items become overdue. Items that are overdue for a certain amount of time will be considered "lost" in our system, and you will be charged a fee. Return the item and you will owe nothing!
The experiences of other libraries that have gone fine free have shown that charging overdue fines has little to no impact on materials being returned. In fact, these libraries report that more borrowed items were returned and more people visited the library when they stopped charging overdue fines!
Yes!
Return your items as soon as you can, and you can begin borrowing again.
It's good for the community!
The mission of the St. Charles Parish Library is to empower our community to explore, learn, create, and connect. Eliminating late fines reinforces our mission because we want everyone to feel welcome at the library. Late fines of any amount can be a real barrier to access for many people and make them less likely to use the library.
We hope that going fine free will encourage people who have not visited the library in awhile to come back to see what we have to offer.
Although we are doing away with overdue fines, we are still charging fees for damaged or lost items. You will owe nothing if you bring back an item that was considered "lost."
We have cleared all accounts of overdue fines, but any lost, damaged, and non-resident fees remain.
Fines are a daily charge assessed on library items returned after the due date. We aren't charging fines anymore.
Fees are replacement charges assessed for damaged or truly lost items. Non-resident cards also are assessed a $25 fee when they are received.