Maybe you’ve spotted the notices when you visited one of the three county libraries we have in the hi-desert: tHe San Bernardino County Library has eliminated late fees on almost all library items.
This follows the successful elimination of late fees on youth and children’s items implemented in July 2020.
This change applies to almost all items in the County Library’s collection including books, featured DVDs and CDs. Items with a checkout fee, such as fee-DVDs, are excluded.
County Librarian Melanie Orosco says that “Late fees can discourage patrons from checking out items, which is why the County Library has worked to eliminate late fees for all library customers,” Orosco said. “We felt it was important to remove financial barriers to literacy and encourage customers to continue to checkout large quantities of materials, without the fear of late fees being assessed.”
The County’s move falls in line with many other county and city libraries across California and the nation that have eliminated late fees.
Library patrons are still encouraged to renew or return their items on time, as replacement fees are still in effect for lost items. Items are declared lost 21 days past their renewal date. Customers will continue to receive notifications for upcoming due dates as usual.
