This week on Chatham County Roundup, join 97.9 The Hill’s Brighton McConnell for a conversation with Chatham County commissioner Karen Howard as they talk about a new pilot program in the Chatham County Public Libraries.
The goal of the program is to remove any barriers to accessing library services by eliminating all late fees for overdue library materials. Howard said the consequences of fines have a direct impact on the people who need access to the library. She said this includes young children in families who do not have access to the material and young families using materials for research and job hunting.
“We don’t want there to be any deterrent,” Howard said. “We don’t want there to be any negative feeling around participating in library space.”
Howard said research from other libraries which have eliminated fines have had a “real positive impact” and there has not been a great loss of library material.
“I remember as a child losing a library book,” said Howard, “and not wanting to go back because there’s some shame and humiliation in that and the librarian telling me that all I had to do was read some more to make up for it. I want to think that that’s what we do. That’s the kind of atmosphere we cultivate in our libraries.”
Listen below for the full conversation, and tune in weekly for conversations about Chatham County happenings, people, news and more.
Lead photo via Chatham County Libraries
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