The idea is to encourage families who have stayed away because of accumulated fines to return to the library and the worlds that it opens.
Toni Carter watched her son the mayor bounce with excitement as he announced an amnesty for 51,000 St. Paul library cardholders who owe money for overdue books.
“He’s a book guy,” explained the longtime Ramsey County commissioner.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter’s proposal would wipe the slate clean for delinquent cardholders whose rights to borrow have been revoked since 2009. Carter not only wants to forgive more than $2.5 million in accumulated fees, he wants to eliminate late fees altogether. He is asking the City Council to approve $215,000 in additional library funding for 2019 to replace revenue collected each year in fines.
