02/09/2026
The Greymouth Library is now officially fines-free.
The new policy means no more late fees on overdue books, and all existing overdue fines also being wiped.
Research from North America to New Zealand shows fewer books are ‘lost’ to the system when fines are removed.
Grey District Council Library, Heritage and Culture Manager Anthony Hunter said “There’s no evidence that overdue charges make people return books on time. In fact, research shows fewer books are lost when you remove overdue fines.”
The new library had 13,000 visitors in its first month and saw a huge surge in new members.
Mr Hunter said they did not want to deter people with fines from visiting.
Staff would continue to send reminders to help borrowers return items on time, so everyone could enjoy the collection. Lost or damaged books (and associated processing fees) would still need to be paid for.
The fines-free change reflected a growing movement among libraries nationwide to focus on access over penalties, Mr Hunter said.
Experience showed removing fines resulted in greater use of public libraries, including increased access to technology and higher participation in programmes.
Greymouth removed fines for children and young adults some time ago.
“Removing overdue fines isn’t just about maintaining access to books. People miss out on a lot more when they avoid the library, for whatever reason,” Mr Hunter said.
“Libraries help people of all ages keep learning by making information and resources available to everyone.”
Libraries that removed fines reported increases in membership and borrowing, a decrease in books being returned late, a reduction in administrative costs, and the return of lapsed members.
More information about fines-free libraries around the country is available at https://loveyourlibrary.org.nz/fine-free-aotearoa
