Presented at the Evidence-Based Library and Information Practice 7 Conference in July, 2013 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Objective At the beginning of the 2012-13 academic year, Vancouver Island University library eliminated most fines, forgave all past overdue fines, eliminated in-library use restrictions, and increased loans periods. The main drivers of these policy changes were a desire to reduce barriers to accessing library materials and remove most financially punitive loan policies, coupled with a continued downward trend in the circulation of our physical circulation and revenue. This study explores the perceived and actual effects of reducing barriers at VIU library. Methods Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to measure the effect of policy changes. Statistical analysis of ILS data was used to explore physical circulation and overdue fine patterns. Qualitative feedback was collected via emails sent in reaction to a campus-wide policy change update, and via LibQUAL+ 2012 comments. Interviews with service desk staff illuminated the perceived impact of policy changes Results Students, library staff, and faculty were overwhelmingly positive about the changes. Staff are no longer put in an awkward enforcement role, which has fundamentally altered their interactions with library users. Many library employees believe that these policy changes have had a significant effect on borrowing trends, but statistics prove do not bear this feeling out. There has been little change in borrowing and overdue trends. At first, there was some initial faculty worry that this policy change might make it difficult to access particular books that other users had checked out in a timely fashion. This situation has not materialized. Conclusion In an era of declining physical circulation and users that increasingly expect free information, it no longer makes sense for VIU to have restrictive physical borrowing policies in place. By removing most fines and changing policies to reduce restrictions, the library sacrificed a small revenue stream for significant goodwill among our user base.

1. Putting a Sacred Cow Out to Pasture:
Assessing the Effects of Removing Fines
& Reducing Barriers at an Academic Library
Jean Blackburn, Kathleen Reed, Dan Sifton
Vancouver Island University
@kathleenreed
CC Photo by Flickr user RaGardiner4

2. CC Photo by Flickr user Simon M Turner
Background
Methods
Results
Conclusions

3. What Did We
Change?
Fines
CC Photo by Flickr user Larisa Lazdins
Collections
Borrowing
Times/Limits

4. Why Did We Do It?
CC Photo by Flickr user DoBeRaGi

5. Circulation

6. $$
1997 - 2012

7. $$
2010 - 2012

8. Evidence
ILS Data
User Feedback
(Email & LibQUAL)
Staff Interviews
Staff Calendars
CC Photo by Flickr user ºNit Soto

9. Question 1: Increase in overdues?
CC Photo by Flickr user newmexico51

10. % of Circulating Items Overdue
June 2012
June 2013

11. Caution!
Archive your ILS data!
CC Photo by Flickr user Latente

12. Question 2: Students ‘sitting on’ books?

13. Renewals as a % of Circulation

14. Question 3: What do users think?

15. Good email! I rushed right over to borrow a
book
[In my Library Record] there is a column that says, ‘”As of
now, you owe” and then it is blank! Too cool. I have a whole
bunch of overdue books, so I will bring them in tomorrow. I am sure I am one of many who are sending you emails with a
big Thank You! This is brilliant, clever, excellent - all of the
above. Very good news for the start of the term.
Some pretty substantial changes. I guess I don't have to worry
about my fines from 1975 anymore!
Great job in the proactive response to the challenges/opportunities in Library processes and
usage!
I literally jumped up and yelled Touchdown when I
read the email. This has revolutionized things for me.
While I am not one the people who accumulated 'infractions' of this
nature ... I think what the library has done is wonderful. I used to hear a
lot of disgruntled faculty and students not being happy with their
'treatment' ... and this should do a lot to help!
Love it! Thanks for keeping VIU current. I am looking forward
to using the employee loans in preparation for an upcoming
exam.
I especially appreciate the new policies towards fines and blocking, as they relate to student borrowers. I’ve noticed a
culture of fear around library use (in my community re: public libraries, and with students here) where users are
hesitant to use library resources because of expected punitive action and disapproval if they don’t “follow the rules.”
Now, when I encourage students to indulge in the pleasures and benefits of borrowing hard copy books, I can mention
the new policies, which might relieve some of their hesitation about incurring fines or other penalties.

16. Feedback from users:
LibQUAL 2013
…I do also appreciate your recent policy changes
regarding fines, etc. I find that they make the
library usage experience to be much more
friendly and accessible.
I would like fees for overdue books to not be so
much, I think the charges are outrageous and
should be lowered.

17. Question 4: What do staff think?
CC Photo by Flickr user Duke Yearlook

18. Circulation Staff Reactions:
Changes to Fines
It feels really good not to have to
charge people fines, and the relief
on the students’ faces is great…
…a really positive experience…it’s
reduced a lot of friction between
clients and staff.
Students are pleasantly surprised, but still
most aren’t aware. I’ve had some
students mention to me that ‘oh I’ve got
fines...” and they’re reluctant to come
back to the library for that reason…
Anyone who’s using libraries, whether
public or academic, you hate to charge
people money for something like that, but
especially students because they’re so
damn poor. And they’re quite
appreciative.
You keep finding special circumstances
where we should punish people. And I
don’t know how else we punish them.
I don’t think fines are the way to go.

19. Circulation Staff Reflections:
Changes to Loans
Video loans being longer made faculty
happy.
It really feels good not to be hanging on to these books,
when they’re hardly going out at all, you’re going to
restrict them so much? It just feels like a better match
for the way that physical books are being used.
The other piece - the periodicals being part of the loanable collection I’ve heard positive feedback about that too. Not a lot of libraries have
their print holdings available on loan, or not on some special loan,
where you get one day to glance at it, so I think that’s really good for
the library.
For myself, I don’t have to do the appeals I used to
have to do. There’s a lot less of that. There’s
probably slightly less cash handled, and definitely less
conflict.

20. Circulation Staff Reflections:
Interactions with Users
Having been little mini
policemen all our lives at the
circulation desk, it’s really
nice not to do that kind of
punitive stuff.
I’ve come away feeling a bit negative with some of
my interactions with students [with reserves]
because the fines are quite low, they’re like ‘well,
I’m going to keep it anyways’ since it’s .25 cents an
hour or $2/day, depending on what kind of loan it
is.
I had a girl here today, and she was like ‘oh,
I’ve got to get my photo ID so I’ll pay my
library fine.’ And she didn’t have a fine - it
had been forgiven in September, so she was
really happy about that, and she left with a
big stack of books. So it was really an
awesome arc of the library experience,
because she came in really negative and left
really positive.
[At another institution] you’d
have people who went to
school in their 20s and didn’t
return books, and they return
it as a mature student and they
have a fee of $54 waiting for
them. It’s not really a
welcoming thing!

21. Circulation Staff Reflections:
Other Comments
I think this idea has traction. I just think
circ staff all over the country would
heave a collective sigh of relief. Because
it was the worst part of the job, phoning
overdues or telling people their
privileges have been suspended and yet,
back in the day that was our only
weapon.
We’re saying we trust the students and
we’re treating them like mature adults.
We’re giving them the benefit of the
doubt.
It makes the library a less punitive idea,
a less restrictive idea, the gatekeeper
idea - all that, and that’s really great to
see us moving forward.
I think it’s really good for the library,
and I don’t think it’s resulted in
students misusing it. I don’t. I mean,
there’s going to be a certain
percentage that never returns books
whether there’s a fine or not. But
overall, I think most people return
their books on time, or as close as
they can under the circumstances…
Sometimes you just need a couple
extra days.

22. Conclusions
CC Photo by Flickr user James Laing
Cows are better suited to pastures than libraries.

23. Jean Blackburn
Collections & User Experience Coordinator
jean.blackburn@viu.ca
CC Photo by Flickr user Miss Jo
Kathleen Reed
Assessment & Data Librarian
kathleen.reed@viu.ca
@kathleenreed
Dan Sifton
Coordinator of Technical Service
& Library Automation
daniel.sifton@viu.ca