The Emporia Public Library became one of the first libraries in the state to eliminate late fines in Dec. 2019. Now, many other libraries throughout the state are following suit. Robin Newell, library director says discussions about removing library fines took place from 2016 to 2018. Those discussions started with staff considering three main issues. The first issue staff considered was how library fines were preventing access for individuals, specifically low-income individuals. “When we looked at it, fines were a barrier, people couldn’t afford the fines and then they weren’t coming back in,” Newell said.
Source: Emporia Gazette
