Haddon Township Library Eliminates Late Fees for Young Readers

Haddon Township, NJ -- The Camden County Library System will no longer collect late fees for materials borrowed by patrons 16 years old and younger as of Friday, July 1, the library announced Thursday morning.

Instead of a late fee, if young patrons don’t return items within 14 days of their due date, their borrowing privileges will be suspended until the overdue items are returned. Patrons will be notified of overdue materials.

The policy is designed to encourage library use by young people and support early childhood literacy. It also eliminates accumulations of past due fines that can pose a financial burden on younger patrons and their families.

“We want the library to be a positive experience for young people, and we believe creating financial barriers to using the library is counterproductive,” Camden County Library System Director Linda Devlin said. “We want to encourage more use, not discourage it. The existing policy for all patrons will still hold them accountable for returning borrowed materials.”

The attached image was provided by the Camden County Library System