There are a few absolute evils in this world, and library fees are one of them. But Cochrane is turning a new page. As of January 13, 2023, the Cochrane Public Library has eliminated its $25-a-year card fee and all late fees.
“We just want to remove as many barriers to access to ensure that everyone has the ability to take out our materials here,” Monique Fiedler-Sills, the library’s director, told Cochrane Today.
If you are already strapped for cash and have bills to pay, the last thing you’d want to do is add another expense to your life. Even if you did have the money to spend on a library card, wouldn’t you be better off buying a Kindle subscription?
Nowadays, you can find almost anything online, from books to movies. But browsing content on the internet in the comfort of our homes is a privilege.
A privilege not everyone has. Public libraries are meant to be places of community, education, and history that anyone can access for free.
But library cards and late fees put up a barrier for low-income individuals that many want to borrow a library’s resources.
“Overdue fines are a practice that negatively impacts low-income individuals by denying them exactly the service libraries exist to provide…For patrons who can afford to pay, fines represent a little more than a minor inconvenience,” continued Fiedler-Sills.
Late fees can be deadly for low-income families looking for an affordable way to entertain their children. If a mother were to borrow five children’s books for a dollar a day, she would end up with $35 in fees by the end of the week.
What would happen if she forgot to return the books for two weeks? What about an entire month?
If you had a family to support but were waist-deep in late fees, what would you make a priority? Putting food on the table or returning a few books?
The Cochrane Public Library doesn’t want its visitors to have to make that choice.
“We don’t want to ding those families, just trying to instill early literacy skills in their kids…One of the biggest predictors of early success is how many books a child has in the home,” commented Fiedler-Sills.
For any Cochrane or Rocky View residents looking to get their hands on a free library card, the Cochrane Public Library only requires proof of address and ID.
To mark the occasion, the library will be hosting a celebration on January 28, 2023. The event will feature a talk from a local author, activity stations, cake, and a puppet show.
Making books more easily available for the rich and the poor may cost a bit in the short term, but long term helping more people access knowledge is good for the future of Albertan democracy.
