The Bill Memorial, Groton Public, and Mystic & Noank Library Boards have voted to make the Groton Libraries officially fine-free.

As community-centered libraries, we strive to provide equitable access to all of our patrons. Doing away with fines for overdue materials empowers our patrons to walk into the library–late or not–and continue to access our collections, technology, and services.

Library studies have found that fines are restrictive for those facing economic hardship. In addition, fines do not ensure timely or eventual return. Rather, they tend to cause guilt, shame, and procrastination. Generally, when fine-free policies are announced, long lost books find their way home, and along with them, grateful community members

Our goal is to be inclusive of all of the members of our community, and to provide consistent access to education and entertainment through a variety of materials, digital libraries, and programming. By eliminating overdue fines, we hope to create a more welcoming library experience for the citizens of Groton and the greater library community.

While our libraries are fine-free, patrons will still be responsible for lost or damaged books in order to protect and sustain our collections.