LOMPOC — Last week the Lompoc City Council voted to eliminate overdue library fines and waive existing fees in an effort to encourage Public Library use.
The library said in a media release that fines act as an inequitable barrier to service, which disproportionately affected teenagers and others who lack disposable income. In order to prevent this stigma, the library is no longer enforcing the fee of 25 cents per day overdue.
The library also made a distinction that a replacement fee still exists for customers who lose their book. They are responsible for paying for another copy for the library.
The staff at Lompoc Public Library hopes this change will encourage library use among younger people as well as those who lack a disposable income.
For more information, go to www.cityoflompoc.com/government/departments/library.
- Forrest McFarland
