> And these increasingly popular initiatives have been proven successful: After the policy change, Chicago public libraries saw an increase in returned materials as well as library card renewals, according to a previous NPR report.

It seems like fines are not very effective at getting people to return stuff on time, but they are effective at getting people to never return things and stop going to the library once they have a few late books, because they can't afford the fines.

To directly answer your question, they can just ask people to please be respectful and try to return things on time, and they can stop people from checking out new items if they have too many overdue ones. The problem isn't big enough to warrant stronger measures than that.

You can't check out new material until you return the materials that you already have.

From an article on Chicago's new system:

| Chicago's cardholders have seven days past the due date to return items before their card is blocked from use. In the case of lost materials, patrons must pay to replace the book or provide a new copy of the same edition.

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| "We're really putting the focus on the physical object that needs to come back to the library rather than the revenue stream — that really wasn't a revenue stream," Telli said.

Fines don't necessarily encourage returns, for one thing.

Isn't "on time" when you are done with the book? I don't use the library because I can't finish a book in the allotted time (two week I think, but haven't been there in a long time). Often you can't renew because there is a wait list. I'm probably a slow reader, but I also have a job, kids, etc.

If our library switched to this policy I would definitely use it and probably get the books back in 4 weeks. The "encouragement" would be that I want to read another book, and I don't need to pay a fine.

As it is I just buy books on kindle so I can read them at my pace.

Interesting question. The article references that Chicago saw an improvement in return rates although it doesn't really explain how that happened to justify that it's not one time or spurious thing.

I would be curious how this pans out over time and whether libraries would change course of this causes a problem. Given that the change was pushed through in the name of equality, there's probably not much that would ever cause it to be undone.

Hopefully it works well.

Every book can be digitally taken out.

Does it matter? Times change, and we're now living in an era where "petty theft is wrong" is a sinfully bourgeois thing to believe because it disproportionately affects the poor. If someone steals your bike, be happy that it brought someone else joy.