RED BANK - Do you have an overdue book from the Red Bank Public Library that you haven't returned because of the late fine? Maybe you have so many charges that your library card has been blocked?

Now, in a permanent change, you no longer have to worry about overdue fines, as the free public library has ended the practice forever.

"We recognize that charging fines undermines both the vision and mission of our library," a release announcing the change said. "Fines are a barrier to access; eliminating overdue fines and increasing access to the library benefits our entire community."

The library first instituted a fine-free policy in its children's library in June 2018. According to the release, return rates actually went up once fines were eliminated, which was part of the reasoning for removing them library-wide.

"Once the stigma of library fines is gone, some communities have found that the removal and forgiveness of fines also lead to the return of long-overdue library books and the return of patrons," the library said. "Going fine-free makes a trip to the library more pleasant for both you and our staff."

While there will be no fines charged for overdue materials, if an item isn't returned within 43 days, it will be presumed lost, according to the release, and you will be charged a replacement cost. However, if you return said materials, the cost will be waived. Any costs over $10 will result in your library card being blocked until cleared.

This new policy is also backdated: if you currently owe a fine on late materials, it will be waived automatically. Damaged or lost materials still must be paid for.

Other fees, such as for replacement library cards, copying and printing, will also still be in effect.

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A common argument for maintaining overdue charges is a worry about the threat to the bottom line of under-funded libraries. However, the Red Bank Public Library says overdue fines account for less than 0.5% of its annual revenue, a loss that is "minuscule compared to the good this new policy will do for our community."

Additionally, the release mentions that administrative costs in collecting fines are sometimes more costly than the money brought in. This has been especially true in other, larger systems. In announcing the end of late fines in 2018, the San Diego Public Library said it spent $1 million a year collecting just $675,000 in fees.

While the Red Bank Public Library has ended fines in its library, this change does not extend to the wider system it is a member of, the Libraries of Middlesex Automation Consortium (LMxAC).

There has been a larger national movement to abolish fines for late materials in public libraries over the last few years as a way to address what the American Library Association deemed a "social inequity" in a 2019 resolution.

"Monetary fines present an economic barrier to access of library materials and services," the resolution states. "There is mounting evidence that indicates eliminating fines increases library card adoption and library usage."

In an interview with NPR about this topic, Ramiro Salazar, president of the American Library Association's public library division, said, "Library users with limited income tend to stay away from libraries because they may be afraid of incurring debt. It stands to reason these same users will also stay away if they have already incurred a fine simply because they don't have the money to pay the fine."

For example, the Chicago Public Library saw a 240% increase in returns in just three weeks after eliminating overdue fines in late 2018. Additionally, it found that the majority of the people stacking up late fees were more likely to be either impoverished or young. 30% of South Side patrons, the historically less-affluent portion of the city, were unable to check out books due to having hit the $10 limit in late fees, as opposed to about 15% of the more affluent North Side. Additionally, children under 14 made up a fifth of all suspended library cards.

A number of libraries in North Jersey recently switched to a fine-free model, including Englewood, Montclair and Hackensack. Many Monmouth and Ocean County libraries suspended overdue fines during the COVID pandemic, but now that most have reopened, for many those fees have returned.

Red Bank library cards expire every three years. To check the status of yours, call 732-842-0690, or click here to apply for a temporary one.

Jack McLoone is a digital producer, but also writes from time to time about anything and everything (oftentimes libraries, for some reason). Contact him at jmcloone@gannett.com or @jfmclooney on Twitter.

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'Barrier to access': Red Bank library dumps overdue fines; that could boost returns