Salinas Public Library is excited to announce that effective July 1st, 2022, overdue or late fines for all library patrons has been eliminated. This move was approved by the City Council through the removal of late fines for adult materials from the 2023 City-wide schedule of fees at the April 26th City Council Meeting, In addition to the elimination of late fines, the Library has been implementing automatic renewal on eligible items since late 2021 to allow for worry-free borrowing.

"The library has already implemented fine-free for overdue children and young adult materials for more than six years. This move is an expansion of similar principle to all library patrons and further remove barriers of access to resources and opportunities that the library provides for our community, as well as helping to reduce economic hardship for families", said Library and Community Services Director Kristan Lundquist. "We want to welcome back community members who have been avoiding using the library because they were unable to pay overdue fines or fear of accruing fines."

Patrons are still encouraged to return borrowed materials in a responsible and timely manner to allow others to enjoy these shared resources. Fees for items that are damaged, lost, or not returned to the library will still be charged to patron's account for the cost of its replacement. For more information, learn more about our borrowing policies.