Wyndham council will no longer apply overdue charges to items borrowed from the municipality’s libraries.
The council will also remove all existing overdue charges.
Mayor Josh Gilligan said as well, the council was implementing an auto-renewal system, which will allow borrowers to have an item on loan for a set number of automatic renewals, or until an item is placed on hold.
“We know that for residents on lower incomes, library charges can have a significant impact on their financial situation and provide a barrier to borrowing items,” Cr Gilligan said.
“While individual charges for overdue items may be small, this can make a big difference to the community, with a total of almost $100,000 worth of charges being paid in the 2018-19 year.
“By removing these charges, we are ensuring that every Wyndham resident – regardless of their background – can access materials that enrich their lives and allow them to participate in lifelong learning.
“This is even more important in the current environment.”
Cr Gilligan said that the removal of library charges in other municipalities has been an overwhelming success, leading to an increase in returns and people signing up to become members.
“I encourage all residents to take advantage of our free delivery services and 24/7 online library that has e-books, e-magazines, e-audiobooks movies streaming, children’s educational games, study support and more,” he said.
“Libraries provide people with a wealth of knowledge and meet our educational, occupational, social and recreational needs.
“For every $1 invested in public libraries, $4.30 is generated in benefit to the local community.”
Learn more: wyndham.vic.gov.au/services/libraries
