Evansville Public Library Eliminating Overdue Fines

We've all been guilty of forgetting to return materials to library, then avoiding going back because we're afraid the library police are going to be waiting for us at the door to cuff us and throw us in a hidden dungeon deep below ground with other offenders like some literary Pit of Misery. Or maybe that's just me. Wherever your imagination takes you when it comes to overdue fines, forget about it. The EVPL will.

The Library has announced that beginning September 1st, they are joining other Libraries across the country and doing away with fines for overdue material. According to the EVPL website, the decision to stop collecting fines "opens access to materials and resources." Basically, they find that fines prevent people from coming back and taking advantage of the resources the Library has to offer, whether that's because they don't have the money to cover the cost, or they have some unfounded "Pit of Misery" fear.

This doesn't mean you can take whatever and never return it. All materials available through the EVPL will still need to be returned by a certain date. If an item isn't returned 30 days past it's due date, the EVPL will consider that item lost and will bill you for the cost of its replacement.

For more info on the elimination of fines, visit the EVPL website.