LEONARDTOWN, Md. — During the meeting of the St. Mary’s County Library Board of Trustees on June 13, 2025, the board unanimously approved a proposal to eliminate all overdue fines, effective July 1.
As of this May, the library had collected approximately $15,500 in fines, with a total of no more than $16,500 expected by the end of the fiscal year. In contrast, the library is saving $25,500 annually through other budget adjustments, and the board stated that the savings would be more than enough to offset the revenue once brought in through late fees.
“This is an economically uncertain time,” a staff member said during the meeting. “I don’t want library fines to be a barrier to library service.”
Board members also cited that neighboring counties, including Calvert and Charles, have already gone fine-free with positive outcomes. They noted that materials are often returned more regularly in fine-free systems, as users are no longer deterred by overdue fees.
Beyond Calvert and Charles counties, libraries across the country have been eliminating late fees in a movement that has been building since the late 2010s, with major school districts in Chicago and Seattle eliminating fees and conducting research on their effects for the first time since the 1980s.
Their research found that late fees disproportionately affect low-income communities. This is because when an individual is fined for a late book return, their library card is frozen until they pay the fee. Before New York City stopped enforcing late fees in 2021, 400,000 New Yorkers (5% of the total population of New York City) had $10 or $15 in late fees and subsequently had their card frozen. Of the 400,000, half were from low-income areas, and the libraries with the highest amount of late fees issued were in low-income areas.
The change will also bring administrative benefits. The library currently uses a third-party vendor to notify patrons about fines, a service Calvert County has already discontinued, and maintaining the fine system requires staff time that may outweigh the revenue it generates.
The board confirmed that all current overdue fines will be forgiven as part of the transition. However, charges for lost or damaged items will remain in place and are accounted for in the upcoming budget. The move is expected to clean up financial records as well, as longstanding unpaid fines — some dating back to the 1990s — will be removed from the books, resulting in a more accurate audit.
St. Mary’s County Library will be the last library system in Maryland to go fine-free as of July 1.
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Saving money by getting rid of hoopla, which is such a great app. SO FRUSTRATING.