I am not talking here about the fact that closing a credit card can impact your credit score. So you'll no longer have your stuff, but instead have a constant reminder on your credit reports that you maybe should have held a garage sale instead of putting your things in storage. Instead, any remaining balance will be turned over to a collection agency. The owner of the facility isn't typically obligated to accept whatever your stuff is worth as payment in full. But that doesn't mean you are off the hook. What happens if you decide you no longer can afford the fees for your storage unit? Similar to what you see on A&E's "Storage Wars" (though probably a lot less exciting), the contents of your unit will likely be auctioned off. There are approximately 48,500 "primary" self storage facilities in the United States as of year-end 2012, according to the Self Storage Industry Association. Even worse, it can remain on your credit report for up to seven years plus 180 days from the date the bill was due to the original creditor, which means it can affect your credit scores for years to come. We hope to encourage prior users to come back and attract new users to experience our offerings.A collection account can lower your credit score by 25, 50 or even 100 points or more when it shows up on your credit report. It is our job as a public library to ensure that all people can enjoy and advance from our vast collection. The Saint Paul Public Library belongs to the people of Saint Paul. The guilt and shame people feel over library fines creates a negative association with libraries and drives them away. This runs counter to our public mission.Īdditionally, we learned that even the fear of a fine is enough to keep many people from using the library. Those who are able to pay can keep using the library, whereas those who are unable to pay cannot. While many library users incur late fines, the ability to pay them depends greatly on income. We want these numbers go to up!Ĭommunity engagement and national research reveal that fines create a barrier to library use for many people. In 2017, 5,133,819 people visited the Library on site and/or online, borrowing 2,440,606 items.Immigrants and New Americans gain access to materials that will help them succeed in their new home.Teens are introduced to books and authors that inspire creativity and innovation.Jobseekers can check out books and resources on resume writing, workforce skills, interview techniques and more.Children enjoy picture books and early learning materials that help them prepare for kindergarten and beyond. In many cases, people simply stop coming to the Library.Įliminating overdue fines and increasing access to the Library benefits our entire community! Read Downs are offered for all people at all branches during open hoursĮliminating overdue fines entirely would create consistency across all our material types and formats.ĭata shows that the rate of return is not higher when people are fined for overdue materials.No fines on electronic materials, items checked out from the Bookmobile, or items checked out with Library Go cards.Children’s and teen materials are all fine free (and are returned at similar rates to those materials with fines).Here are some of the steps we have taken to reduce the barrier posed by late fines: Library staff members have aimed to reduce the impact of overdue fines for years. They reported a financial barrier, but also the feeling of guilt and shame associated with having overdue fines. Community members tell us that fines keep them from using the library.In fact, because of the positive impact for both patrons and staff members some said their only regret was not doing it sooner. Library systems that have eliminated overdue fines aren’t going back.Nearly 1 in 5 SPPL cardholders are currently blocked due to overdue fines and fees.We interviewed our staff members and community members. We interviewed colleagues from other library systems that eliminated overdue fines. We analyzed our service and financial data. The above findings led to months of research. Staff members discovered a disproportionate number of blocked cards in areas of the city where people face income challenges and worried that overdue fines were resulting in inequitable access to publicly owned materials.
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