Dakota County Library System Goes 'Fine-Free For All'

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — Patrons of the Dakota County Library system will no longer face fines for items returned past their due date, officials announced Tuesday.

Effective Jan. 2, the library removed overdue fines on any materials and for any age group, thanks to a change in the county's 2024 operating budget.

Additionally, customers who had been blocked from checking out items due to old late fees have received amnesty and can now once again use the library.

"Removing overdue fines is good for the community," the county said in a news release. "Everyone, no matter their circumstances, should have access to library resources."

Items still must be returned to the library by their due dates, officials noted. Additionally, most items overdue by 42 days or more will be considered "lost" and the item's replacement cost will be billed to the customer's account.

The library system had already removed youth overdue fines in 2022.

According to officials, as a result of that policy, more children's items were checked out, more youth received library cards and items were returned at a similar rate.

Library staff anticipate a similar effect with the removal of adult overdue fines, based on the experiences of other libraries that have made the change.

Nearby Ramsey County and Hennepin County went "fine free" in 2020 and 2021, respectively.