NYPL Announcement: No More Late Fines, Ever
The New York Public Library is proud to announce a major policy shift: Beginning October 5, 2021, all late fines have been eliminated going forward—and all existing fines and fees in patron accounts have been cleared. Learn more about this policy change and how everyone is getting a clean slate this fall.
Say Goodbye to Late Fines...and Say Hello to Everything the Library Has to Offer!
As of October 5, 2021, everyone is getting a fresh start at the Library:
- All existing fines and replacement fees in all patron accounts have been cleared and erased.
- Late fines will no longer accrue on borrowed materials returned after their due date.
- Please note: some replacement fees will still apply. Learn more about our new policy.
- As always, e-books are easy to access and will never be overdue. Find out about the Library’s free e-reader app, SimplyE, today!
Welcome Back to NYPL
The Library is here for you! Learn about all of our free services—now with no more late fines. Get a library card and join us in branches to explore a wide array of free programs and services for all ages—from storytimes and after-school programs to job and career support and language-learning classes.
Research shows that fines are not effective in ensuring book returns—New Yorkers are quite reliable and responsible, clearly respecting our collections and the need for them to be available for others to borrow. But, unfortunately, fines are quite effective at preventing our most vulnerable communities from using our branches, services, and books. That is the antithesis of our mission to make knowledge and opportunity accessible to all, and needed to change. As New York grapples with the inequities laid bare by the pandemic, it is all the more urgent that we ensure the public library is open and freely available to all.
—Tony Marx, President, The New York Public Library
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