Public libraries within Chicago have seen a 240 percent increase in the number of books returned after the city’s mayor announced the decision to eliminate overdue fines in late September.
Library Commissioner Andrea Telli testified at City Council budget hearings on Wednesday — where she says hundreds of long-overdue books have been returned in recent weeks.
She says the policy, which went into effect on Oct. 1, has been great in getting readers and books back in local libraries.
“The amount of books returned has increased by 240 percent. A huge increase in the number of books coming back. We’re very, very happy to have that. …Those books have a value and cost money to buy. We want those assets back. We also want the patron to come back,” Telli said, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.
Library use has seen a drastic decline when compared to the previous decade due to technology changes, with only 44 percent of Americans visiting a local library or bookmobile in 2016, according to the Atlantic.
Three years earlier that rate was 53 percent.
She said the 2019 book return increase could be attributed to the elimination of fear most book users have about coming face to face with their fines.
“Just by word of mouth, and also on the library’s social media pages like Facebook, we saw a lot of patrons say, ‘Oh my God. This is so great. I’m gonna bring back my books. I’ve been hesitant to come back to the library because I owe these fines,’” Telli said.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the policy’s goal is to assist both youth and low-income readers in the area who don’t have as much disposable income to pay off the fines.