If there are no holds on your item and it hasn’t reached its renewal limit, we’ll automatically renew it for you. The due date will be extended according to our loan periods. If there is a hold on your item, we’ll send a due date reminder. Once the due date has passed, we’ll send three overdue notices, and after 28 days, we will consider the item to be lost and bill you for its replacement. If you accumulate over $20 in charges for lost or damaged items, your library account will temporarily be blocked from borrowing. Please come talk to us at the Help Desk if that’s the case so we can discuss your options.
Many other libraries in Metro Vancouver have removed late fees and have reported no drops in return rate, borrowing, or library membership. When we previously removed late fees from youth materials (2015) and large print materials (2017), we saw no drops in circulation or return rates.
Plus, we’ll still send reminder emails when due dates are coming up. Don’t forget to add us to your safe sender list so you don’t miss notices.
Our librarians always monitor holds lists and order additional copies as needed, so you likely won’t notice longer wait times for your holds.
We will continue to collect late fees for materials interlibrary loaned from other library systems.
Yes. We have waived all late fees on your account, but will still charge for holds that are not picked up within seven days ($1) and for items that are lost or damaged. Items borrowed from other libraries through Interlibrary Loan are still subject to late fees.
Revenue from late fees has already been declining over the years. In fact, in 2019, late fees made up only 1% of our total funding sources. This is in part due to an increase in digital borrowing and improved due date email reminders. As a comparison, contributions to the Library through the Friends of the Library and WVML Foundation make up nearly 5% (over $225,000) of our annual operating funding.
Thank you for supporting your Library! If you’d still like to contribute to the Library, you can drop a donation into the Friends of the Library’s Book Cart donation box. If you’d like to make a larger donation or receive a tax receipt, you can also make a gift through the WVML Foundation.
Donations to the Friends of the Library support programs like North Shore Writers Festival, Summer Reading Club, and more. Donations to the WVML Foundation have supported projects like The Lab, Booktopia: A Literary Arts Festival for Young People, our Friday Night Concert series, and more.
