It’s unlikely a plan to eliminate late fees next year would be pushed back, believes Guelph Public Library CEO Steve Kraft, but he agreed to pose the question to the Guelph Library Board at the urging of some members of city council Tuesday.
“The board is set on their fine-free model,” Kraft said during Tuesday's meeting. “Just rip the Band-Aid off now and make it happen.”
The move is expected to eliminate $175,000 in revenue, which would need to be replaced by taxpayer funding in order to maintain services, council heard during a special 2022 and 2023 budget meeting.
Council is looking at ways of minimizing the tax increase to residents over the next two years as it finalizes the 2022 and 2023 budgets.
“It’s an awful lot of money to just walk away from,” commented Coun. Dominique O’Rourke, who proposed an amnesty program be used in the short-term.
Getting rid of late fees is intended to eliminate financial barriers for users and allow staff to redirect their efforts toward “meaningful interactions and engagement with the public,” Kraft noted.
“Overdue fines are an unsustainable revenue source,” he continued, explaining there are no late fees with digital lending services. “Eventually we have to go fine-free, there’s just no other option.
“All the other libraries in North America are going that way as well,” he added. “Now’s the time to do it.”
Prompted by a question from Coun. Dan Gibson, Kraft explained overdue items will prompt additional notices to the borrower and, if not returned, will be followed by an invoice for the item’s replacement.
