At their regular meeting on May 27, 2010, the Board of Trustees of the North Olympic Library System voted unanimously to increase the fine for overdue books and other materials from 10 cents per day to 20 cents per day, effective July 1, 2010. The maximum fine of $5.00 per item will not change. At a series of town hall meetings and community presentations earlier this year regarding the Library’s NOLS 2012 business plan, several attendees urged the Library to increase the overdue fines as a way to boost revenues and get overdue materials back to the Library faster. In 2009 NOLS collected $48,166 in overdue fines and charges for lost and damaged books and other materials. This is about 1.5% of NOLS’ operating budget.
Prior to setting a new fine rate, NOLS reviewed its own history of charging fines as well as the rates at neighboring libraries. NOLS first started charging overdue fines in 2003 and the rate has not been adjusted since that time. The Kitsap Regional Library charges 25 cents per day, and the Timberland Regional Library, which began assessing overdue fines in 2009, charges 15 cents per day.
Read Policy 3.5: Penalties for Overdue and Lost Materials as adopted by the Board. Contact the Library Director for more information.
