Charlotte, NC - The Charlotte Mecklenburg Library wishes to notify Library customers of several changes to fines, fees and services that will take place starting January 1, 2011.

Overdue fines for books, CDs and Playaways will go up by a nickel, and it will cost a bit more to replace a library card or make black and white copies. In addition, the maximum allowable amount an individual can carry on their account will change from $10 to $5 and the number of items that can be placed on hold will be cut in half. Also, non-profit organizations will have to pay to rent library meeting rooms and for-profit organization meeting room rental fees will double.

Last Spring, when the Library received news of budget cuts, the community responded with a groundswell of support and feedback. At community meetings, and in branches, Library users said they would be willing to pay more to preserve Library service. While changing these fees will not generate enough revenue to come close to filling the County funding gap, the Library felt it was important to be good stewards of library resources by examining current fees and practices, and responding to the community feedback with changes.

Also, given the high demand for limited resources -- particularly during these difficult economic times – the Library needed to find ways to maximize resources for all customers. In planning for the changes, Library staff researched policies at other NC public libraries and peer libraries around the country, as well as the fee structures of local providers of similar services, to ensure that proposed fines, fees and limits were comparable.

Director of Library Experiences David Singleton, explains the need for the changes. “Demand for Library services and materials is high, but the Library budget has decreased dramatically. We’re all very aware that the recession has drastically impacted the amount of funding the Library receives from the County. Our policy changes reflect difficult decisions about more limited services that the Library is able to deliver to the public based on funds and staffing. We hope the new fines and fees schedule will encourage the timely return of books and materials so that the next person in line can check out the item, optimizing access for the increasing number of people using the Library.”

The Library has had to make a number of difficult decisions to keep operations sustainable during the continued down economy. The Library’s total budget has been reduced by about $14.7 million (about 37%) from July 2008 to July 2010. To cope with the reductions, the Library had to lay off about 180 staff, close 4 locations, cut service hours by 53%, and drastically reduce the book budget and other services.

Despite the need for fine and fee increases, the Library also wants to do its best to help borrowers return items on time. Individuals who have opted to receive email notices from the Library currently receive courtesy reminders several days before books and other items are due. Borrowers are also contacted by phone or email when items are past due and need to be returned. Library cardholders can access information about their Library accounts anytime from the Library website, www.cmlibrary.org, or by calling 704.416.7363 with their Library card number.

Complete List of Fines, Fees and Service Changes

• The daily fine for most overdue items, including books, CDs and Playaways will change from 20 cents a day to 25 cents a day. Overdue fines for DVDs will remain $1 per day.


• The maximum allowable amount an individual can carry on their account and still check out items or use library computers will change from $10 to $5.


• The number of items an individual can have on hold at any one time will change from 20 to 10.


• The number of Interlibrary Loan requests an individual can make at any one time will change from 10 to 5.


• The fee for a replacement library card will change from $2 to $3.


• The per page charge for black and white printing from library computers will change from 10 cents to 20 cents per page. Color printing will change from $1 per page to 50 cents per page.


• Black and white photocopies will change from 15 cents to 20 cents per page.


• The library will now charge a fee for proctoring exams of $30 per test plus any incidental fees.

• Non-profit organizations will be charged one-half of the rate charged to for-profit organizations (The new for-profit charges are in line with charges from peer library systems and remain less than the market rate for meeting room space.)


• Library and government agencies will still be able to meet free.


• Groups who wish to reserve meeting room space for 2011 should contact the library for comprehensive information on meeting room fees and policies.