When patrons at the Homewood Public Library check out a book, they generally get three weeks to read it. Plus, there are two more renewals allowed. After that, there’s a 10-cent per-day late fee.
But late fees could become a thing of the past if the library board of trustees approves a proposal to eliminate some fines.
Books aren’t the only things Homewood’s library offers patrons. You can check out CDs, DVDs, video games, puzzles, backpacks, laptops and Roku, all part of the library’s collection. There are late fees on those items, too.
Fines vary. The 10-cent late fee covers books, comic books holiday books, magazines and newspapers, CDs and puzzles. Vinyl records, CDs-music, BluRay, DVDs and video games have 25-cent per day late fee. Hot copies, backpacks, digital items and mobile hotspots have a $1 daily fee. Laptops, Roku and the Library of Things have a $5 per day late fee and no renewals after a week.
While most fees would continue, members of the Homewood Library board have been debating whether it’s time to drop the late fees on books in its stacks, except the popular “hot copy” books that carry a $1 per day late fee.
About 90% of libraries don’t have late book fines. Flossmoor Public Library doesn’t charge residents late fees for books checked out from its collection, but it does have a $1 per day late fee for the hot copy books.
The Homewood library’s fiscal year runs July through the following June. In FY23-24 the library collected $11,707 in fines. For FY24-25, fines totaled $14,614.
Library Director Colleen Waltman said the board has been examining the issue of fines for a few months. Part of the issue is how to segregate out late payments made on credit cards. The payment is just that, a payment. The credit card company doesn’t designate whether the payment is for a lost book, or a $5 per day late fee on a laptop, or an accumulation of fees for various services.
She said the discussion on late fees will continue at the library board’s next meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 20, at the library.
