Late Fees Eliminated At Contra Costa County Libraries

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA —Do you have a fine for overdue books or other materials from the Contra Costa County Library? Don't pay it! The Board of Supervisors voted Tuesday to eliminate overdue fines on all library materials. The new policy will go into effect on Jan. 1. This is the first county library in California and largest in the state to eliminate fines for everyone.

Until now, daily fines were charged on overdue books, magazines, DVDs and other materials. Cards that racked up too many unpaid fines were blocked from use. In fact, of more than 650,000 cardholders countywide, 18 percent currently have their cards blocked due to fines. Forty-three percent of youth accounts currently owe a balance and approximately 21,000 youth cards are blocked.

"Families are staying away from the library because it’s simply too expensive for them," said County Librarian Melinda Cervantes. "We don’t want people to have to choose between putting food on the table and reading."

Overdue library material fines and library material replacement charges make up approximately 2 percent of the library’s revenue. Since 2013, revenue from fines and charges has decreased by 31 percent. During this same period, circulation of eBooks and other e-resources have increased 128 percent. E-resources are already fine free and benefit those with greater access to technology.

"Our libraries are open for the entire community to take advantage of all they have to offer," said Contra Costa County Supervisor Karen Mitchoff. "Saying goodbye to fines gives everyone an opportunity to restart their relationship with the library."

Eliminating overdue fines will allow staff to focus on creativity and service.

"We have so many outstanding and enthusiastic staff members who would much rather spend their time helping someone find the next great read or learn how to use one of our online resources," said Deputy County Librarian Nancy Kreiser. "They can spend more time making people smile."

You are still be expected to return library materials on time so that other people can check them out. Patrons will incur a replacement charge if materials are not returned 30 days after the due date.

The county has dozens of library locations. Here's a list of locations and hours.

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