Smokey and the Fine Free 

PIONEER LIBRARY SYSTEM GOES FINE FREE
Cleveland, McClain, Pottawatomie counties, OK. December 1, 2023 -
The Pioneer Library System is turning a new page this holiday season, with a present its communities can celebrate: the elimination of fines for all ages on overdue materials.
“We are more than excited to join countless other libraries in Oklahoma and across North America that have made this equitable change,” shared Aiden Street, Director of Community Engagement & Learning at PLS. “At PLS, our goal is to create positive experiences for our customers. That means we are always looking for ways to reduce barriers and encourage customers to make use of their libraries.”
PLS has enjoyed a long history of reducing barriers to library access in its communities. Since 1988, all students in Norman Public Schools have been issued a PLS card to keep them engaged with reading. In 2015, PLS introduced the MyCard, an option for children and teens who may otherwise not have had access to a full-service library card. It was in 2017 that the
library system announced automatic renewals on eligible overdue items, with fines on all youth materials being eliminated the following year.
With nearly 10% of households in the PLS service area living below the poverty level, this newest change will help maintain access to materials and information for many families.
“Just the idea of incurring a late fee is enough to deter some from using the library altogether,” Street continued. “Now people can take full advantage of all the great offerings at the library without feeling they have lost access due to an overdue fine.”
As of December 1, a one-time amnesty of all existing late fines has taken place to start a clean slate for all adult library accounts.
The change in fines affects overdue, or late, materials, with fees remaining for unreturned and damaged items, to help the library maintain its collections. Digital checkouts do not accrue fines.
Founded in 1958, PLS today offers full-access libraries in 10 communities throughout Cleveland, McClain, and Pottawatomie counties, as well as additional access locations in smaller communities and outreach services including Business Services and the PLS Mobile Maker Lab.