Effective immediately, there will be no overdue fines charged on most Chicopee Public Library items. Existing overdue fines from our library’s items are being waived.
How does it work?
- Every item checked out will still have a due date. Items will still automatically renew for as long as renewals are available and you will get the same reminders about overdue items you have always received. Remember that other patrons may be waiting for an item, so please do your best to bring items back on time.
- Overdue fines may still be charged on items belonging to other libraries, according to their policies.
- Overdue fines will still be charged for Chicopee’s Museum Passes, Webcams, iPads, and WiFi Hotspots. All other items owned by our library are now fine free.
- Fees for damaged or lost items will still be charged to your account. Items are considered lost when they are 28 days overdue. At that time, your account will be charged for the replacement cost of the item(s) and your account will be blocked. You can clear your account by returning the item(s) in usable condition (there will be no overdue fines!) or by paying for the item(s).
What if I have outstanding fines on my account?
Past overdue fines from Chicopee items have been waived. Charges for lost or damaged items and overdue fines for other libraries’ materials will remain on your account. If you have any questions about charges to your account, please call or stop by and we’ll go over your account with you.
What if I haven’t visited the library in a long time?
Please come see us! We might need to set up a new account for you or update your old one. In either case, it shouldn’t take more than about 5 minutes of your time. Any staff member will be happy to give you a quick library tour or talk about our services and resources with you.
Will people still return their items? Will it take longer to get holds?
We don’t expect there to be any changes in services as a result of eliminating overdue fines. All CW MARS libraries were fine free during the pandemic, and the only delays that occurred were a result of item quarantines and curbside pickup limitations. And more than half of the libraries in the CW MARS system have already gone permanently fine free without any noticeable effects on returns or hold wait times.
How will the library replace the revenue from fines?
Although the Library always carefully watches its bottom line, the loss of overdue fine revenue is tiny compared to the good this new policy will do for our community. Overdue fines account for less than 1% of the library’s overall budget, and going fine free will not result in any increase to our budget request from the City. In addition, revenue from overdue fines has been steadily declining for years, mainly because of automatic renewals and the increasing use of electronic materials. Above all, the Trustees and staff feel it is worth a small loss in revenue if it allows us to remove barriers to library use.
Why make this change?
Research has shown that overdue fines are not effective in encouraging the return of library materials. Instead, fines can quickly become a barrier to using the library. We do not want overdue fines to discourage or prevent patrons from accessing the valuable resources our library offers.
You can learn more about overdue fines here: