Franklin trustees weigh eliminating overdue fines; staff asked to gather data for June meeting

The Franklin Public Library Board of Trustees discussed whether to eliminate overdue fines at its May 19 meeting, with trustees asking staff to gather circulation and revenue data and place a formal fine-free item on the June agenda.

Board members and staff said neighboring and peer libraries that went fine-free reported higher circulation and few material-return problems, but the board also flagged budget and administrative questions that would require city review.

Jennifer (Staff member) told trustees that several libraries that have gone fine-free saw circulation increase and relatively few negative effects. She said Tulsa reported a circulation bump after going fine-free and that other examples — including Dubuque and Waterloo — had positive experiences. “I personally get rid of fines,” Jennifer said, adding that some libraries put limits on what is fine-free (for example, excluding hot spots). Trustees noted Wauwatosa’s reported change in fine revenue — described in the meeting as a reduction from roughly $48,000 to about $18,000 recorded after their policy change — and asked for a clear, local accounting of how much of Franklin’s fine revenue comes from Franklin residents versus fines tied to items owned by other libraries.

Members raised equity and access arguments favoring elimination of fines for certain patron groups (especially children) and noted operational advantages: several presenters said staff time spent enforcing fines can be reallocated to direct services. At the same time trustees stressed the need to work with city financial staff and the mayor’s office before changing budgeted revenue lines. Alderman Jason Craig noted that any change touching a line item in the municipal budget will require outreach to the city to explain how the revenue shortfall would be covered.

Board discussion produced a clear direction: trustees asked staff to return in June with a data package that includes (1) a 2024 historical breakdown of fines revenue, (2) the portion of fines paid that represent Franklin-owned items versus items owned by other libraries, (3) separate tallies for children’s materials and other categories, and (4) estimates of operational time currently spent on fines. Jennifer agreed to request analytics from the county library system and to work with city finance to surface budget implications. The board did not take a final policy vote; members agreed to continue the discussion at the June meeting once the requested numbers are available.

A number of peer-library details discussed at the meeting: Greenfield’s fine-free policy will begin June 1 (noted in a press release discussed by staff); Milwaukee Public Library and several suburban systems have already eliminated or limited fines for children’s materials; and some systems use replacement billing after four weeks as part of their fine-free approach. Trustees also discussed possible offset strategies (donor underwriting, shifting materials/programming budgets, or creating new revenue services such as passport processing used elsewhere) but made no commitments.

The board set no deadline for a final policy decision; it directed staff to return with the statistical and budget analysis necessary for an informed vote or formal recommendation at the next meeting.