Pioneer Press: No more late fines at the library? St. Paul mayor says dropping fines is overdue

It’s a penalty almost as old as the American public library system itself. You check a book out from your local library, and return it a few days — or weeks — past due. Then the fines accrue.

“If you’ve ever had to turn down a kid and tell them they can’t educate themselves because of their family’s income, it’s a terrible feeling,” said Arlington Hills Library worker A.J. Ragland, standing side-by-side with St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter.

The mayor on Wednesday delivered a brief budget address focused on the St. Paul Public Library system, and it boils down to no more late fines.

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Watch the Mayor's 2019 Saint Paul Public Library Budget Address

More information on eliminating library late fines