“We had an interesting time with the fines issue in [a named library authority] with our blanket issue of library cards to primary school children (We do not charge fines until 6th birthday, but then charge a lower rate until children are 16.). Those with fines quietly had them removed, but we had to do this as they came in to use the tickets rather than being allowed a blanket write-off of all the ‘debt’ even though it was quite clear we were actually never going to recover this money or the books. The real difficulty is our audit people who see unpaid fines as debt, yet it isn’t strictly so in my book as a fine is not a service bought but unpaid for.

You can guess I am in the camp that would like them abolished. When I was doing my librarianship (back in the Dark Ages) we were always told they were a deterrent (and I think they have a place for that with valuable books or books in demand, but not as a blanket barrier). Definite instances of parents saying they won’t join or join child because they daren’t risk having to pay fines…

I also had a ghastly job in a previous authority back in the 80s having to go to court and swear books had not been returned. Was so glad to change roles as soon as I could., Those who ended up in court were always the ones without any money, and who had not learned how to play the system. Grim!”