Fine Free Library

The Granby Public Library, with support from the Granby Public Library Board, is happy to announce that the library is no longer charging overdue fees for most library materials.  We are proud to be following the practice of many libraries around the country and around the state, removing this potential barrier to library services. This change is a part of an institutional movement from libraries nationwide, guided by the recommendations of the American Library Association, in an effort to increase free public access to library services and to encourage patrons to use this valuable community resource.

In the lead-up to this decision, we carefully reviewed studies and articles about eliminating fines. Libraries that have adopted fine-free policies found that:

  • Library card registrations increased
  • Borrowing of materials increased
  • More library items were returned
  • Students returned to the library to use homework resources
  • Staff time was redirected from fines-handling to patron-focused services
  1. Why eliminate fines?
  2. Will everything be fine-free?
  3. What if I have old overdue fines on my account?
  4. What if I have fines from another library?
  5. Won't people just check things out and never return them?
  6. Will there still be due dates?
  7. Will I still receive reminders about returning materials?
  8. What about hold times? Will I have to wait forever for my item?
  9. What happens if someone doesn’t return their items?
  10. I have an item that I’m being charged for as “lost”. Can I still bring it back?
  11. Won't this affect the library's budget?
  12. Have other libraries eliminated late fines?
  13. I like to give a little donation to the library if I return my items late. May I still do that?
View All