>>
>> GREAT
>> GREAT INSIGHT. >>> SO IT'S THE NEW YEAR AND A
FRESH START AT THE SEATTLE
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
PUBLIC LIBRARY. THEY HAVE WAIVED ALL LATE FEES.
.
.
. >>>
. >>> THE
. >>> THE LIBRARY SYSTEM IS HERE
TO EXPLAIN THE POLICY.
WELCOME.
WELCOME.
WELCOME. >> THANK YOU.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
>> WOULD YOU CALL THE NEW
POLICY
POLICY
POLICY BOLD?
BOLD?
BOLD? .
.
. >>
. >> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. WELL, I MEAN, YEAH, YOU
MIGHT THINK OF IT AS RADICAL.
IT'S PART OF KIND OF OUR
CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT
A
A
A LIBRARY
A LIBRARY DOES.
LIBRARY DOES. >> WHY YOU DID GUYS DECIDE TO
DO
DO
DO AWAY
DO AWAY WITH IT?
AND HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE
TALKING ABOUT EACH YEAR?
.
.
. >>
. >> SURE.
>> SURE.
>> SURE. WE WERE ABLE TO DO THIS THANKS
TO SEATTLE VOTERS WHO PASSED A
LEVY RENEWAL LAST YEAR.
WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
AND REALLY WHAT IT COMES DOWN
TO
TO
TO IS
TO IS WE
TO IS WE HAVE COME TO UNDERSTAND
THAT LATE FINES WERE JUST NOT
EFFECTIVE AT ENCOURAGING PEOPLE
TO RETURN THE MATERIALS ON
TIME,
TIME,
TIME, WHICH WAS THE PURPOSE.
MOST PEOPLE, THE VAST MAJORITY
OF PEOPLE RETURN THE LIBRARY
MATERIALS ON TIME WHETHER OR
NOT
NOT
NOT YOU
NOT YOU CHARGE A LATE FINE.
BUT LATE FINES HAVE THE
NEGATIVE
NEGATIVE
NEGATIVE IMPACT WITH CREATING A
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL
FINANCIAL BARRIER AND MAKING IT HARDER
FOR
FOR
FOR PEOPLE TO USE THE LIBRARY.
>> NOW HOW DOES THIS WORK?
BECAUSE IF I DON'T HAVE TO PAY
A
A
A FINE,
A FINE, DO I HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO
GETTING THE BOOK BACK ON TIME?
EVEN THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF
PEOPLE RETURN ON TIME.
>> WE'VE LOOKED AT OTHER
LIBRARIES AND THIS IS A HUGE
NATIONAL TREND TO ELIMINATE THE
FINES.
FINES.
FINES. LIBRARIES ARE SEEING IT WORKS
GREAT.
GREAT.
GREAT. AND THE EFFECTS ARE GENERALLY
THAT THEY'RE NOT SEEING A
CHANGE
CHANGE
CHANGE IN
CHANGE IN HOW PEOPLE RETURN THE
MATERIALS.
MATERIALS. WE DO HAVE SOME RULES STILL
IN PLACE.
IN PLACE.
IN PLACE. WE STILL EXPECT PEOPLE TO
RETURN
RETURN
RETURN THE MATERIALS BY THE DUE DATE.
IF YOU DO KEEP SOMETHING OUT
MORE THAN TWO WEEKS PAST THE
DUE
DUE
DUE DATE,
DUE DATE, WE STOP YOU FROM CHECKING
OUT MORE ITEMS.
IF AN ITEM IS LOST, WE WILL
CHARGE A REPLACEMENT FEE.
>> THAT MAKES SENSE.
AND HOW ARE PEOPLE RESPONDING?
I WAS THINKING, IS THIS REAL?
DO YOU GET THAT KIND OF
RESPONSE?
RESPONSE?
RESPONSE? >> FOR SURE.
YEAH.
YEAH.
YEAH. I
YEAH. I THINK PEOPLE -- WE'VE HEARD
SURPRISED AND HAPPY AND EXCITED
PATRONS.
PATRONS.
PATRONS. STARTING TO SEE -- IT'S BEEN
ONE
ONE
ONE WEEK
ONE WEEK SINCE THE CHANGE WENT IN
EFFECT AND WE'RE STARTING TO
SEE
SEE
SEE THE
SEE THE LONG LOST PATRONS START TO
COME BACK TO THE LIBRARY.
>> REALLY?
>> REALLY? THAT'S FUNNY.
THAT'S FUNNY. >> YOU KNOW, I HAD THE OVERDUE
BOOKS AND I WAS AFRAID TOO
BRING
BRING
BRING THEM BACK AND PAY THE HUGE FINE
OR I FELT BAD ABOUT IT.
THEY FEEL WELCOMED BACK NOW.
>> THAT'S WONDERFUL.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD
EXPLAIN THE BARRIERS THAT
PEOPLE
PEOPLE
PEOPLE HAD BEFORE THIS CHANGE.
BECAUSE I THINK SOME PEOPLE AT
HOME MIGHT BE GOING, WHAT, LIKE
A $10 FINE.
THAT'S NOTHING.
THAT'S NOTHING. THERE ARE BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. AND WE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DATA
OF OUR OWN LIBRARY USERS AND
TALKED TO LIBRARY PATRONS AND
NONUSERS ABOUT THE QUESTION.
THE REASONS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT
NOT RETURN SOMETHING ON TIME
ARE
ARE
ARE THEY
ARE THEY MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO
TRANSPORTATION.
TRANSPORTATION. THEY MAY BE BUSY.
MAYBE THEY'RE WORKING A COUPLE
OF JOBS AND IT'S TOUGH TO GET
TO
TO
TO THE
TO THE LIBRARY AT A CERTAIN TIME.
MAYBE THEY HAVE OTHER
PRIORITIES
PRIORITIES OR SOMETHING HAPPENED IN THEIR
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. THERE'S LOTS AFTER REASONS
SOMEBODY MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO
RETURN SOMETHING.
RETURN SOMETHING. AND MOST PATRONS, 25 CENTS A
DAY
DAY
DAY WAS
DAY WAS NOT A BIG DEAL.
RETURN THE BOOKS AND PAY THE
FINE AND GO ON YOUR WAY.
BUT FOR SOME MEMBERS OF THE
COMMUNITY, IT WAS MORE
DIFFICULT.
DIFFICULT. WE WERE FINDING PEOPLE WOULD
JUST STOP USING THE LIBRARY.
>> AND WE DON'T WANT THAT.
>> AND DO YOU HAVE A STORY OF A
BOOK THAT WAS CHECKED OUT LIKE
IN 1978, ANYTHING LIKE THAT?
>> NOT YET.
I'M EXCITING AND HOPING TO SEE
THAT.
THAT.
THAT. A
THAT. A LOT OF OTHER LIBRARIES HAVE
GREAT STORIES OF BOOKS RETURNED
20, 30, 40 YEARS AFTER THE
FACT.
FACT.
FACT. >>
FACT. >> THAT'S GREAT.
>> WE'LL LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE
FIND OUT THERE.
AND YEAH, WE HOPE TO SEE SOME
OF
OF
OF THAT.
THAT.
THAT. >>
THAT. >> AND WE HOPE YOU SEE