ALIA-APLA statement on fines for overdue items in Australian public libraries

The Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) and the Australian Public Library Alliance (APLA) joint statement in support of the removal of overdue fines in public libraries. 
 
A growing number of Australian public libraries are removing fines for overdue items. This is in line with the global movement to make libraries more accessible for all people in our community. A number of trials have established that often the cost of collecting overdue fines is greater than the revenue received. Overdue fines are also a distraction from the core work of public libraries: lending items, encouraging reading and facilitating free access to information.