Thursday, January 17, 2019 ~ SOOKE, BC
~ by Mary P Brooke | West Shore Voice News
No more fines for overdue children’s books at the Sooke Library!
As of January 1, 2019 Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) has removed the overdue fines as a way to remove “a significant barrier” and give more children access to their important literacy resources. All outstanding fines have also been waived.
“By eliminating children’s fines, we are helping to ensure that library services are available to some of our customers who need them most,” says VIRL’s Executive Director, Rosemary Bonanno.
The VIRL Board of Trustees unanimously passed the motion to eliminate children’s fines at their last meeting of 2018.
“For some families, library fines can mean the difference between being able to access library materials or not,” says Director of Library Services and Planning, Melissa Legacy. “With this initiative, we’re committing to giving all kids an equal opportunity to access and benefit from the wonderful literacy resources we offer. The elimination of children’s fines will open new doors of discovery for kids and families across our service area.”
VIRL is celebrating this important milestone during Family Literacy Week which runs Sunday, January 20 through Sunday, January 27. It’s their annual celebration that highlights families and children reading together at branches across their library system.
The Sooke Library is one of 39 branches in the VIRL system. VIRL also runs a Books by Mail system.
More: Vancouver Island Library Board website | Borrowing Tips