Whistler Public Library to eliminate late fees

The Whistler Public Library has announced that they will be eliminating late fees.

Fines for items returned late will no longer be charged against library users as of August 27th. The announcement comes as the library celebrates it’s 31st birthday with goal of helping patrons overcome barriers to access library services.

Whistler Public Library Board Chair Gord Annand says that fines are less than 1% of the operating revenue and do not represent the relationship they want to have with the community; “The practice is no longer keeping up with the mission”.

For more than 10 years, children’s books have not been accruing fines and staff have been allowed to use discretion to waive or reduce fines. “It is important to acknowledge that people have already paid for these resources with their tax dollars. Fines often discourage access to the library by the very people who need it the most” says Library Director Elizabeth Tracy.

Elsewhere in the Sea to Sky corridor the Pemberton & District Public Library erased fines in 2008 and the Squamish Public Library does not charge fines on children’s materials. However the Squamish library does not have any immediate plans to remove fines for adult materials.