Natick's Morse Library To Eliminate Some Overdue Fines

NATICK, MA — We've all heard stories of library books being returned after ridiculous amounts of time, with accompanying fines accumulating up into the thousands of dollars. But that's a problem users of Natick's Morse Institute Library may never face.

The Morse Institute Library Board of Trustees in September voted to eliminate overdue fines on materials for senior citizens and children. The policy is not in place yet, but Library Director Jason Homer said it could happen as soon as November.

Morse already has relatively low fines. Except for items like DVDs, museum passes, and video games, most fines cost 20 cents per day and max out at $4 — so you'll never see a $10,000 fine for returning a book checked out decades ago. The library's priciest fine is for inter-library loans, which cost $2 per day and max out at $20.

The fine elimination for seniors and children may be just the beginning. Also at the September meeting, the Morse Library Board asked Homer to look at eliminating all fines, and what the financial impact would be for the library.

The Morse library, founded in 1808, is part of the MetroWest Minuteman Library Network, and is home to over 200,000 materials.