TO: Board of Supervisors
FROM: Cultural Services Agency
MEETING DATE: August 3, 2021
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Deborah Fader Samson
PHONE:
707-234-2872
DEPARTMENT CONTACT:
Barb Chapman
PHONE:
707-367-8216
ITEM TYPE: Consent Agenda
TIME ALLOCATED FOR ITEM: N/A
AGENDA TITLE:
title
Authorization for the Library to Continue Not Charging Late Fees until the Next Fee Hearing and Fee Schedule Adoption
End
RECOMMENDED ACTION/MOTION:
recommendation
Authorize the Library to continue not charging late fees until the next fee hearing and fee schedule adoption.
End
PREVIOUS BOARD/BOARD COMMITTEE ACTIONS:
Fee amnesty periods approved December 6, 2016: item 4p; June 6, 2017: item 4l; December 5, 2017: item 4s; November 6, 2018: item 4l; December 17, 2019: item 4g; approved no late fines for educator cardholders and agencies on January 7, 2020: item 4i; and fee amnesty during the COVID-19 response November 17, 2020: item 4l.
SUMMARY OF REQUEST:
Mendocino County Library and the Library Advisory Board would like to continue not charging late fees for overdue materials. This would only apply to late item charges; the fees for lost or damaged items would still be assessed. Libraries have found that overdue charges affect young and low-income people to a greater extent and are an impediment to free and equal access to all. The Library provides multiple services such as job search tools and educational resources that are more accessible to patrons when they aren't facing the stigma of debt. Staff would be able to spend more time on providing excellent customer service and less time on collecting fees. Patrons would still be responsible to return overdue materials in order to check out new items.
The Library received Board approval to waive late charges during the COVID-19 response, and the Library is continuing to waive late fees at this time. With Board of Supervisor approval, not charging for late materials would continue until the next fee hearing ...
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