Ohio County Public Library is Officially Fine Free!

The Ohio County Public Library is excited to officially announce a significant change in our daily operations: effective immediately, the library will no longer charge late fees for overdue items. The decision to remove these fees from library policy directly reflects our commitment to making our resources and services that much more accessible to every member of our community. It is our hope that the official removal of these fees will encourage even more of our residents to use our library, as well as remove any fear of financial burden that may have previously discouraged patrons from borrowing books, movies, games, or any other resources. Please note that replacement fees will still be charged for lost or damaged books.

By eliminating daily-accruing late fees, OCPL aims to ensure that everyone in the Upper Ohio Valley—regardless of their financial situation—has equal access to all of the knowledge, entertainment, and education that the library provides.

 "At the Ohio County Public Library, we truly believe that no patron should ever be discouraged from using the library due to overdue fines," said Amy Kastigar, Library Director, "This policy change is a direct part of our efforts to serve our community better and encourage patrons to take advantage of all of our services without having to worry about financial penalties. This decision works to keep the library aligned with our mission of providing free and equal access to resources that assist our community in the pursuit of knowledge, information, education, research, and recreation.”

September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month, making it the perfect time for OCPL to make the library more accessible and continue to foster Wheeling’s love of reading! Come visit us today!

More information:

American Library Association. (2019). Economic Barriers to Information Access: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights.