San Bernardino County Library eliminates late fees

In an effort to promote literacy and accessibility, the San Bernardino County Library has eliminated late fees for virtually all items. This follows the elimination of late fees on youth and children’s items implemented in July 2020.

“We are grateful to the Board of Supervisors for approving this policy change,” said County Librarian Melanie Orosco. “Removing potential barriers to literacy is so important because it provides equitable access to library services, which will help achieve the Countywide Vision by fostering an educated workforce.”

This change applies to almost all items in the County Library’s collection including books, video cassettes, featured DVDs and CDs. Items with a checkout fee, such as fee-DVDs, are excluded.

“Late fees can discourage patrons from checking out items, which is why the County Library has worked to eliminate late fees for all library customers,” Orosco said. “We felt it was important to remove financial barriers to literacy and encourage customers to continue to checkout large quantities of materials, without the fear of late fees being assessed.”

Replacement fees are still in effect for lost items. Items are declared lost 21 days past their renewal date. Customers will continue to receive notifications for upcoming due dates as usual.

For more information about the County Library, visit sbclib.org.