KAUKAUNA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Fees on late rentals at the Kaukauna Public Library are now a thing of the past. As of January 1st, ten-cent per day overdue fees are no more.
This new chapter there now makes the Kaukauna Public Library the first in the Fox Cities to go fine-free.
“Library fines are forever, so if you’re grown up, for example, and racked up fines when you were a child when you’re 18, and you wanna go back to the library, your fines will still be there,” Kaukauna Public Library director Ashley Thiem-Menning explained. “We don’t want them to be forever anymore.”
One in seven Kaukauna library accounts is frozen because of late fees higher than $5.
“Sometimes I think fines can be a detriment to people checking out books because they’re worried about bringing them back and getting them back on time, so I think this is an awesome idea,” Doris Verboomen of Kaukauna said.
Thiem-Menning tells FOX 11 inactive or expired card fines are 2.5 times higher than active ones, directly showing that when people have fines, they aren’t coming back to the library.
“The libraries want people to be using them, so this policy is a good-faith step for us with all of the community members to say, ‘Please come back, we’re not going to fine you anymore.”
Fines totaled about $6,000 in 2019.
Mayor Tony Penterman tells FOX 11 losing that revenue is worth it.
“As Mayor of Kaukauna, my goal is to do what is best for our community. When Director Thiem-Menning explained the importance of going fine free with support from the Library Board, I knew it was in Kaukauna’s best interest to back them in their policy adoption. We have one of the most beautiful libraries in the state, and all our residents should be able to use it equitably and without barriers. This policy ensures a Kaukauna Strong approach to lifelong learning and education, and we are proud to be the first in the Fox Cities to adopt it.”
Fine-free doesn’t mean you can keep a book forever. Thiem-Menning says renters will have to pay up unless the item is returned.
“Say you had an item that went to a billed status, when it comes back, now you won’t have fines to pay for, we just want the item back.”
But Thiem-Menning doesn’t think that will be an issue there.
“All of the libraries that have gone fine-free, we have not been able to find one that reversed their decision to go fine-free, and their materials are still coming back at the same rate.”
The library hopes that giving people with overdue fees a clean slate will bring them back and that removing the threat of fines will get more people reading.
