Salem Public Library No Longer Charges Overdue Fines

Mayor Dominick Pangallo today announced that the Salem Public Library has ended its practice of charging overdue fines. Additionally, the Library now offers automatic renewals of items. Titles that are eligible for renewal will be automatically renewed on their due date, with no action necessary by the borrower. Titles with waiting lists, items that have reached the maximum number of renewals, and items owned by other libraries will not be automatically renewed. If a patron keeps an item beyond the maximum number of allowable renewals they may still be charged the replacement fee for a lost item.

“I am so pleased that the Salem Public Library has been able to abolish and forgive overdue fines with the support of the City and the Board of Trustees,” said Tara Mansfield, the Director of the Salem Public Library, “This change will make the library more accessible, and we hope that the folks who were uncomfortable using the library because of overdue fines will feel welcome. We invite all residents to visit the library and check out the wonderful resources we have to offer.”

“Eliminating overdue fines is another step that we’re taking toward centering equity in Salem,” said Mayor Pangallo, who chairs the Library Board of Trustees. “It’s also an opportunity to reaffirm our community’s commitment to lifelong learning, and to encourage our residents to revisit or possibly visit their Library for the first time, to learn more about all of the free materials and programming it has to offer.”

To learn more about the elimination of overdue fines at the Salem Public Library, visit: https://salempl.org/fine-free/.  Please contact the Library at 978-744-0860 if you have any questions.