More than 4,000 individuals who each racked up to $49.99 in fines to replace lost or damaged books and other materials for Apache Junction Public Library owe a combined $95,252 that would be forgiven under plans to be discussed in July by a city board.
Forgiving the fines would have two benefits to the library — cleaning up the database and allowing people who are now turned away for nonpayment to return to the library, Library Director Pam Harrison said at a recent meeting of the Apache Junction Library Board.
“My main reason for proposing a onetime courtesy deletion of fines on library (accounts) expired after five years or more is because it’s giving us another important reason to remove barriers from getting people into the library and getting them the access to literature and resources that they need,” she said at the board’s May 11 meeting.
