June 1, 2022 = Phase 1 of Fine Free at Elgin County Library

Elgin County Library is very pleased to announce that starting June 1, 2022, the library will begin a phased approach to no longer charge overdue fines on library materials.

Studies have shown that there is no evidence that late fines make people return library materials on time. in fact, libraries that have stopped overdue fines report the opposite. Late fines also create a financial barrier for community members, which Elgin County Library looks forward to eliminating.

At the February 22, 2022 Elgin County Council meeting, it was approved that Elgin County Library would start the fine free process by stopping overdue fines on children's materials first. Adult materials will be next, with the goal of all overdue fines being gone by the end of 2024.

For the full news update please visit the Elgin County Library website.

The full copy of the report approved by County Council is available on the Elgin County website by searching for the February 22, 2022 County Council Meeting Agenda.

The full media release can be found on the Elgin County website.