Dear Patrons, Friends and Supporters,
Many of you have been part of the Abington Township Public Library community for years — even decades. You have seen us go through changes to adopt new technologies, upgrade our buildings, elevate the library experience and meet the public’s evolving needs. Moreover, you have embraced these changes along the way.
We are excited to share our newest change: As of January 1, 2024, the library will be going fine free. Quite simply, this means that we will no longer issue fines for overdue materials, with the exception of a limited number of items in our Library of Things. In doing this, we join many neighboring libraries and libraries around the country who have eliminated fines so that all people have access to library materials.
We did our homework to assess the consequences of going fine free. Studies have shown that there is no clear benefit to administering fines to patrons. Eliminating fines does not change return rates. If anything, return rates increased slightly at fine free libraries. In researching the issue and through discussions with the board of trustees and the township manager, it is apparent that when people return their books to the Abington and Roslyn libraries, they’re staying to check out their next stack of books, attend a program, use our computers and be an active member of our library community.
When life gets in the way and you’re a few days late in returning your books, whether your children misplaced them in the bottom of their toy bin or it took you a little longer than anticipated to get through the end of a really great book, you won’t get a fine, you’ll simply get a “Thank you!” Of course, it is still your responsibility to return library materials when you are finished with them. We want to get them back into circulation so they can be enjoyed by all! But for many, the stress of accumulating overdue fines is enough to keep them and their families from visiting the library. Ultimately, we earnestly believe that going fine free will eliminate such barriers for many in our community.
We know that some library users view fines as their donation to the library, but the truth is, the philanthropic support we receive through our annual appeal is critical to the library’s mission to educate, engage and empower. With deep appreciation, we ask you to consider making a gift to support and expand our wonderful programs, resources and services as we move towards the future. Together we can put our values into action as we continue to provide an enriching, welcoming space within our community.
On behalf of the library and the board of trustees, we wish you and your loved ones a safe, happy and healthy holiday season, and we hope to see you at Abington and Roslyn libraries soon.
Sincerely,
Joseph Milano, President, Board of Trustees
Elizabeth Fitzgerald, Executive Director