No Fines At Chicago Libraries

We are so excited here at Friends of the Edgewater Library by the news that Chicago has joined a host of other cities in eliminating fines for overdue books throughout its library system. In case you didn’t see the Sun Times article, you can view it here.

“This is a great day for people throughout Chicago. It means that libraries and books will be more accessible than ever to everyone. No one should be kept out of the library because they don’t have the funds to pay a fine. While this may seem like a small thing - to many in our city, it has been a huge burden. Our thanks to Mayor Lori Lightfoot, Chicago Public Library Commissioner Andrea Telli, and all those who are working tirelessly to support the library system in Chicago,” said Friends’ President Michael Myers.

In addition to the removal of overdue fines, readers can automatically renew books through the CPL app up to 15 times unless another patron requests the book. The City plans to announce many other changes with the library system. If these two changes are just the beginning, we can’t wait to see what other positive changes are coming!