Dakota County Library customers will no longer face fines for items returned past their due date.
Effective Jan. 2, the library removed overdue fines on any materials and for any age group. The change was approved as part of the county's 2024 operating budget.
Individuals who previously were blocked from checking out items can once again use the library. Items still must be returned to the library by their due dates. Most items overdue by 42 days or more will be considered lost and the item's replacement cost will be billed to the account.
The library removed youth overdue fines in 2022. As a result, more children's items were checked out, more youth received library cards and items were returned at a similar rate. Library staff anticipate a similar effect with the removal of adult overdue fines, based on the experiences of other libraries that have made the change.
Removing overdue fines is good for the community. Everyone, no matter their circumstances, should have access to library resources.