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Arlington Public Library

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Arlington Public Library Eliminates Overdue Fines

Minimizing Barriers to Using the Library

As of July 1, Arlington Public Library eliminated overdue library fines to make the library’s collections accessible to all Arlingtonians and library patrons. The goal is to increase access to and minimize barriers for marginalized populations to use the library, particularly for youth and low-income patrons.

“Every member of our community has a right to library services and library fines and fees are known barriers to use. We are pleased that we can eliminate these long- standing barriers and continue our mission to reach everyone regardless of their socioeconomic background,” says Diane Kresh, Director of Arlington Public Library.

The elimination of fines will reduce the Library fine budget by an expected $155,000 in anticipated revenue to $10,000 in FY 2021. The $10,000 remains in the budget due to the continuation of replacement fees for lost items.

Borrowing

Patrons will be able to borrow an item for up to twelve weeks if no other patron has placed a hold or up to 3 weeks if another patron has a hold on the item.

Library staffer adding back books to a shelf.

If the item is not returned at the end of the loan period, a grace period of twenty-eight days will come into effect. The patron will not accrue overdue fines during the twenty-eight days. If the item is not returned by the end of the grace period, the item is considered lost and a replacement fee will be charged. If a replacement fee is charged and the item is later returned, the fee is reversed. The replacement fee is dependent on the cost of the book.

Going forward, patrons who either lose or fail to return items to the Library will be assessed a replacement fee that will affect their ability to borrow, renew, place holds on materials, or log in to premium sites, such as Consumer Reports until the fee has been paid or the item has been returned.

Patrons with existing fines will still need to pay those. During the library closure, no fines were accrued for checked-out items.

Paying Fines

  • By phone at 703-228-5260; Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.
  • By mail with a check or money order mailed to Central Library, Attention: Circulation, 1015 N. Quincy St, Arlington, VA 22201
    • Please include the library card number with the payment and make the check payable to “Treasurer of Arlington County.”

To find out more about borrowing, loan periods and renewals, visit the accounts information page.

Exhibition Pays Tribute to Women in Arlington

Women's Work: Then & Now

The 29 Arlington women profiled in the exhibit include (from left to right) Caroline Gary Romano, Margarite Syphax, Seema Jain, Dr. Phoebe Hall Knipling, Mary A. R. Marshall, Gertrude Crocker, Marguerete Luter and Cornelia Bruere Rose, Jr.

In March, Arlington Public Library will launch a new exhibition at Central Library, titled “Women’s Work: Then & Now.”

  • March 5 through April 2 at Central Library.
  • Exhibition opening Thursday, March 5, 6:30 p.m., followed by an author talk with featured guest Liza Mundy, author of "Code Girls."
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The opening reception will be followed by an author talk with Liza Mundy. In "Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II," Mundy uncovers the truth about the army of women code-breakers who worked behind the scenes here in Arlington and in Washington DC, and brings to life the forgotten history of these unsung heroes whose efforts helped save hundreds of lives.

The exhibition commemorates both Arlington County’s 100th anniversary and the 100 years since the passage of the 19th Amendment. Included in this exhibition are stories, photographs, letters and memorabilia, which spotlight individuals and groups of Arlington women who dedicate their work to improve their community and the lives of others.

“These stories show that women are strong, resilient, even fierce when necessary, and that they are more than able to carry out the work before them,” said Diane Kresh, Director of Arlington Public Library. “Arlington would not be the same without them.”

Discover and learn about the work of Anna Barber, Charlene Bickford, Ellen Bozman, Judith Brewer, Elizabeth Campbell, Gertrude Crocker, Pauline Haislip Duncan, Alice Fleet, Alice Foster, Saundra Green, Critchett Hodukavich, Seema Jain, Carolyn (Carrie) Johnson, Cintia Johnson, Dr. Phoebe Hall Knipling, Puwen Lee, Marguerete Luter, Mary A. R. Marshall, Sushmita Mazumdar, Ruby Lee Minar, Constance (Connie) Ramirez, Caroline Gary Romano, Cornelia Bruere Rose, Jr., Virginia Lillis Smith, Florence Starzynski, Margarite Syphax, Nancy Tate, Marjorie Varner, and Dr. Emma Violand-Sanchez.

The nominees, selected by the 16 exhibition partners, were based on their groundbreaking, visionary and ongoing contributions to the communities they serve. Also included in this exhibition, are women who were curated from the Center for Local History’s online exhibition, “Women’s Work: Stories of Persistence and Influence.”

The exhibition partners are AED-Cultural Arts, Arlington County Commission on the Status of Women, Arlington County Department of Human Services, Arlington County Department of Parks and Recreation, Arlington County Fire Department, Arlington County Police Department, Arlington County Sheriff’s Office, Arlington Food Assistance Center, Arlington Historical Society, Arlington Public Schools, CPHD-Historic Preservation, Encore Learning, Friends of the Arlington Public Library, Girl Scouts Association 60, League of Women Voters of Arlington and WomenWork (WoW) Employee Resource Group.



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