2021 will be one for the books as the new year will bring an end to overdue fees with the City of Winnipeg's libraries.

Starting on Friday, libraries owned by the city will no longer be charging fines for overdue books or DVD/Blu-ray borrowing fees.

The service says they wanted to create a space where patrons can borrow materials worry-free. Earlier in the fall city councillors were considering the cancellation of library fees due to the potential fear of late fees impacting access to resources. 

"Overdue fines create a barrier for those who can benefit most from library services. Fines also create negative experiences for our community and library staff, and discourage use of the library," Winnipeg Public Library says in a statement.

All library items are included in the fine freeze. Outstanding fees are being waived.

The library is expecting items borrowed to be returned by their due dates and will send out notices if a material has not been returned on time. Replacement charges for lost and unreturned items, as well as damaged materials, remain in effect.

Libraries continue to be closed to in-person browsing but library users can use the pick-up service.

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