The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley libraries this summer will eliminate fine collection policies for overdue materials in an effort to widen access to library resources.
Effective July 1, the five libraries managed by the city of Goleta will stop collecting late fees for items, as well as shorten the time for billing lost items to 30 days after the due date.
Existing fines will be forgiven, but patrons will still owe for unreturned materials and collection agency fees, according to the city.
Patrons with fines for late fees on their account will see those fines disappear in upcoming weeks, Goleta officials said.
The Goleta City Council last week approved the city’s Library Advisory Commission’s recommendation to eliminate late fines for the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley libraries.
“I am very grateful to the City Council for taking this action,” Library Director Allison Gray said in a statement. “It will open up the wonderful services offered by our library system to those who could not previously make use of them, and ensure that we are being inclusive in offering our services to everyone.”
To regain overdue materials, city officials said, library staff will send mailed notices to patrons at 30 days past due (item is billed) and 60 days past due (replacement cost is final).
At 63 days past due and $40 or more in fees, library staff will forward an account to a materials recovery agency, and a $10 non-refundable service charge will be added to an account, according to the city.
Goleta is managing several library locations, including the Goleta Valley Library, 500 N. Fairview Ave., and Santa Ynez Valley locations at Solvang Library at 1745 Mission Dr. in Solvang, the Buellton Library at 140 W. Highway 246, the Santa Ynez Library at 3598 Sagunto St., and the Los Olivos Library at 2374 Alamo Pintado Ave.
Pre-pandemic, the Goleta Valley Library collected more than $12,600 in fines during fiscal year 2019-20, according to the city. This is less than 1% of the budgeted revenue in fiscal year 2019-20.
The reduction in revenue may be partially offset by savings from the return of materials that would otherwise not be returned, or from increased reimbursement for lost materials, a city staff report said.
Before the decision on Tuesday, the Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley libraries were one of two library systems in the Black Gold Cooperative Library System still charging overdue fees to patrons.
“Many patrons are aware of this and have asked if Goleta would consider joining the other five jurisdictions in going to a fines-free model,” the city’s report said. “Many libraries across the country have taken this step and found that it not only increased their circulation, but brought the people who most need the library back.”
For decades, libraries charged daily overdue fees in the belief that it would encourage borrowers to return overdue items more quickly.
Relevant studies show that eliminating fines increased goodwill between patrons and library staff, and did not lead to an increase in late book returns, according to a city staff report.
“In fact, it can reduce library use when patrons accrue fines and then just do not return to the library out of embarrassment and/or an inability to pay the fines,” the report said. “This leads to the people who most need the free public library not being able to use it. Additionally, it adds to the perception of the library and library staff as being punitive and judgmental.”
The Goleta and Santa Ynez Valley libraries did not charge overdue fees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The recommendation of a fines-free library system was put on the City Council’s consent calendar among items set for approval without further discussion.
No residents spoke about the item during the public comment period of the council meeting.
The city of Goleta officially took over direct management of the Goleta Valley Library from the Santa Barbara Public Library System as of July 2018, and the Santa Ynez Valley library branches moved from the Santa Barbara Public Library System to Goleta management in July 2019.
— Noozhawk staff writer Brooke Holland can be reached at bholland@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
