Books in a bookshelf. Photo: Unsplash / Jessica Ruscello
Librarians say since fines for overdue books were ditched visitors are flocking back to public libraries - whose role in a community now extends far beyond issuing books.
Most public libraries no longer charge for overdue returns. Some councils have only recently made the shift, such as Whanganui who made the change last month - wiping $17,000 of debt - while others dropped the fee years ago including Auckland Council in 2021.
Anne Goulding is Professor of Library and Information Management at Victoria University. Her research focus is on the management of public libraries and Dany Miller is the hub manager for libraries in South Auckland.
