Princeton University Gift Supports PPL Pilot Waiving Fees

Princeton Public Library will use a generous gift from Princeton University to extend through 2026 a pilot program eliminating extended-use fees for children’s materials, Executive Director Jennifer Podolsky has announced .

The $50,000 gift from Princeton University will allow the library to continue to waive these fees, also known as “fines,” for children’s materials while it works to develop a sustainable source of private funding to permanently end extended-use fees for all age groups.

With funds made available by the 2021 merger of its two fundraising groups, the Friends and Foundation, the library began waiving fees for children’s materials in 2022. At the time the pilot program began, fees for children’s materials generated about $25,000 annually in revenue for the library, but also prevented vulnerable groups from using the library.

“These fees create financial barriers to library use and are a form of structural racism and classism,” Podolsky said. “Data show that fines disproportionately affect low-income households and prevent people from being able to use library services. We know from experience that parents struggling to get by won't allow their children to check out books for fear of accruing fines, resulting in shame and blocked access to those who need library services the most.”

After waiving fees for children’s materials, the library discovered there were no significant impacts to the return of materials, while overall circulation of materials increased, as did the number of young people applying for library cards.

Kristin Appelget, Princeton University Assistant Vice President for Community and Regional Affairs said, “Library staff shared with us that eliminating late fees for overdue materials was a key priority of their current five-year strategic plan. We were pleased to provide support from the University to assist the Library in their efforts to achieve this goal and help make the library and its resources even more accessible to every member of the community.”

“We’re very grateful to the University for supporting our efforts to end fees for all users,” Podolsky said. “We’re in the first year of a strategic plan where a major goal is to increase access to everyone in Princeton. These fees prevent us from realizing this goal.”

“Princeton has seen the remarkable things the library can do when stable public funding is supplemented by private support,” she continued, “We’re confident that with this generous gift from the University, our Development Office will be able to identify like-minded donors who can help us develop a sustainable funding source that will allow for the elimination of all extended-use fees.”

Those interested in joining the library’s effort to eliminate extended-use and other fees are invited to contact the library’s Development Office at (609) 924-9529. Ext. 1253.

The library is in the Sands Library Building at 65 Witherspoon St. in Princeton. For more information about library programs and services, visit princetonlibrary.org