The Library Board is meeting 06/15/2021 at 4:30PM.
Perhaps of most interest to the public is the fact that Library Director Colleen Rortvedt is proposing that the Appleton Public Library become a fine free library. She wrote a 5 page memo outlining the reasons to do this and answering some of the common concerns and questions about taking this step.
As she states in her memo
To summarize, overdue fines:
• are cumbersome to collect for a nominal return
• are not an incentive to return materials and may be a disincentive to getting them back
• require staff to spend time on fine-related responsibilities rather than providing direct service to the public
• result in negative interactions with patrons
• create stigma for patrons who may not want to have a conversation about the titles for which they are being fined so they stop checking out materials
• serve as an economic barrier to information access for those who can least afford fines such as those who are unemployed, low income, or children”
If approved, the library would cancel all existing fines and stop assessing them going forward. They would not, however, be able to remove fines incurred from materials checked out via interlibrary loan or bills incurred for lost or damaged materials.
The Board will also be reviewing and voting on proposed updates to three policies: the (1) Harrassment & Discrimination in the Workplace Policy, (2) Hearing Conservation Policy, and (3) Right To Know Policy
There will also be a Library building project update and a report on the library’s Strategic Communications Plan.
Appleton Area School District Parents may recognize the name Greg Hartjes. In addition to being the Chief Financial Officer for AASD, he is also a member of the Library Board and has been appointed the Chairperson of the APL Board Finance Committee.
Those are simply some of the highlights. They will also be listening to various additional reports and updates.
View full meeting details here: https://cityofappleton.legistar.com/MeetingDetail.aspx?ID=827709&GUID=4D55D24E-AA3A-48E0-863A-4AB81D4E3562&Options=info|&Search=
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