In July, the Baltimore County Public Library permanently discontinued extended loan fees and removed outstanding balances on all cardholders’ accounts.
Since then, the library has received two books that it likely assumed would never return.
The library recently received a copy of Gail Godwin’s “A Mother and Two Daughters,” which has been overdue since 1983, and a copy of Gwen Bristow’s “Jubilee Trail,” which has been overdue since 1957.
The library removed fees to encourage people to visit the library with a clean slate.
“Library fines create barriers to access and hurt the people who need its resources and services the most,” said Library Director Sonia Alcántara-Antoine in a July press release.
“Eliminating unnecessary fees levels the playing field for all in the community and it is exciting to be part of this structural change,” she said.
The change cleared the accounts of 74,841 library cardholders.
Public libraries around the country are wiping late fees to alleviate inequity and remove barriers to access.
Libraries in cities like San Diego, Chicago, and Boston have gone “fine free.”
Other libraries in Baltimore, like the Enoch Pratt Free Library, have also removed fines.
The Baltimore County Public Library shared the return of the books from 1957 and 1983 in a Nov. 19 Instagram post.
While the library welcomes the books back, it is most important that people are returning as well, the post says.
