The Orange County Library System’s Board of Trustees voted on Thursday, October 13 to suspend late fines
The move to eliminate overdue charges was made ahead of the library system’s 100th year of operations in 2023. To cap it off, they’ve even canceled all existing overdue charges on library cardholder accounts.
“This has been a long time coming for us. The elimination of overdue charges and debt is part of a nationwide trend in public library service. Research shows that overdue fines are a barrier that prevents those who need libraries the most from using them, and the American Library Association has recommended that all libraries with the ability to do so should consider removing overdue fines as a way to expand services in the community. Many library systems across the nation have already made this important change, including all the largest library systems in the state of Florida.“
– OCLS STATEMENT
Though overdue charges are now a thing of the past, OCLS will still have due dates for all loaned materials. Individuals will have 14 days to return the item or face having their card blocked until the items are returned and they will still be responsible for lost or damaged materials.
Click HERE for a series of Frequently Asked Questions and information on the OCLS website.
