Effective Jan. 9, 2025, the Cuyahoga Falls Library is eliminating overdue fines on most items and announcing fine forgiveness. The new checkout policy was approved by the library’s Board of Trustees on Dec. 17, 2024.
“We are thrilled to announce that the Cuyahoga Falls Library is now fine-free! One of our core values is access – to our collections, resources, and services. Studies show that eliminating fines removes barriers to library usage, and fines do not increase the likelihood that items are returned on time. We want people to use the library and feel good about it – without fear of fines or judgment about overdue materials,” said Library Director Andrew Harant.
All overdue fines incurred prior to Jan. 9, 2025 have been forgiven and cleared from borrowers’ cards. However, replacement charges for lost items and applicable service charges will remain on customer accounts. Cardholders are encouraged to return all overdue and lost items for a fresh start. Once lost and billed items have been returned to the library, replacement charges will be removed from the borrower’s account. For questions or concerns about outstanding charges, please contact the library’s Circulation Department at 330-928-2117 ext. 2001. Alternative arrangements may be available.
How does the fine-free checkout policy work? All items still have due dates, and eligible items will auto-renew at the end of their loan period unless another customer has requested the item. Borrowers will continue to receive courtesy reminders and overdue notices with item due dates. However, there will be no per-day late fines incurred for most items returned after their due date. A few specialty items will continue to have late fines. Items borrowed from the Library of Things, Children’s Discovery Zone, and Museum Pass Collection will incur fines of $1.00 per item, per day after their due date.
When items are significantly overdue or returned damaged, the borrower will be charged a replacement fee for the items. Cardholders can check due dates and manage their library account at any time with the Cuyahoga Falls Library’s free mobile app, available on Google Play and the App Store, or by logging into their online account from the library’s website, www.fallslibrary.org.
The elimination of overdue fines will not make a big impact to the library’s operating budget. Fines made up only 0.1% of Cuyahoga Falls Library’s revenue. Fine revenue has decreased in the past several years with the increase in digital checkouts and the implementation of auto-renewal on borrowed materials. The Cuyahoga Falls Library’s Administration and Board of Trustees reviewed these factors and others to determine that the benefits of creating additional community access to the library outweigh any potential costs from the loss of fine revenue.
