BOSTON (WHDH) - Mayor Kim Janey on Wednesday announced that the Boston Public Library will permanently eliminate late fines for patrons of all ages.
The removal of late fines is supported by $125,000 for revenue relief in Janey’s 2021 budget, according to the BPL. The policy change will go into effect on July 1, 2021.
“With the BPL Board of Trustees’ approval, we look forward to eliminating library late fines and the equity imbalance they can create,” Janey said. “The Boston Public Library provides important resources, programs, and services to our communities. By removing this barrier to access, we are ensuring that these resources are actually accessible to everyone.”
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the BPL implemented a moratorium on assessing late fines in March 2020. On Wednesday, that moratorium was extended through June 30.
With approval from trustees, the BPL says it will also remove all pending overdue fines from patrons’ accounts on July 1.
There are currently more than 391,300 card holders, 42,000 of whom are facing fines.
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