New Year, New Chapter: Elimination of Overdue Fines
Effective January 1, 2020, Wixom Public Library eliminated overdue fines for Wixom materials. This move ensures that our Library is living up to our mission to provide free and equal access to quality collections, services, and programs that support the informational, educational, cultural, and recreational needs of our diverse community. The Library is committed to promoting literacy for all ages and, by eliminating overdue fines, we are making sure we are the place for Wixom residents to read, discover and connect without barriers.
We know that life sometimes gets in the way – work schedules change; kids get sick; it snows. However, overdue fines can be frustrating enough to make people not want to borrow again from the Library. We want all Wixom residents to be able to access our materials regardless of ability to pay overdue fines. The Library Staff and Board of Trustees spent 2019 studying fine free policies by analyzing our fine data and finances, reading articles, attending workshops, and speaking with other area libraries that are fine free. During this research we discovered that overdue fines had a disproportionate effect on Wixom residents based on neighborhood and income.
Equal access to all Library services leads to a curious and engaged community, something that benefits everyone in Wixom. It’s a new year and a new chapter! From all of us here at the Library, we thank you for your continued patronage and support.
For more details, visit the Fine Free FAQ page.