Dakota County Library To Stop Overdue Fines On Kids' Books

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — Dakota County Library announced that as of Jan. 3 it will stop charging overdue fines on youth items that have been checked out.

Library users will no longer receive daily overdue fines on children and teen items that have been checked out, the library said.

This will allow children and teens who weren't able to check out items due to overdue fines to again be able to use the library, Dakota County Library said.

Items that are overdue by over 42 days will be considered lost and the cardholder's account will still be billed, the library said. Accounts with over $50 in fines won't be able to check out items, according to Dakota County Library.

Overdue adult materials will still be charged overdue fees, the library said.

"Libraries play a fundamental role in our community, and it's important that all youth have access to library resources to support literacy and learning," the library wrote on its website. "Many children and teen cardholders are unable to use the library due to fines that are beyond their control. Research shows that fines on youth materials result in parental decisions not to use the library. Fines also create greater hardships in communities with higher rates of poverty. Libraries who removed overdue fines have seen an increase in new members, visitors and items checked out."

Find your closest Dakota County Library location here.