Fines & Charges

The Niagara Falls Public Library (NFPL) has permanently eliminated overdue fines on library materials, effective January 1, 2022. NFPL joins hundreds of other libraries who are part of a movement to make library services accessible to all members of the community, especially those who may be marginalised or struggling as a result of the pandemic.

Although overdue materials won’t accrue fines, customers are asked to be considerate of other borrowers and return items by their due dates. Items not returned after 28 days from the date they were due back will result in a replacement fee for the borrower.

For more information about eliminating fines and NFPL’s process to recover overdue materials, please read our press release.

Many customers view paying fines as part of supporting the Library and we deeply appreciate that support. Please consider a donation in lieu of paying fines as a way of continuing your support. Niagara Falls Public Library is a registered charitable organisation and we are grateful for your donations, which will help fund services, programs and resources for the whole community.

In lieu of charging fines, NFPL will focus attention on the materials recovery process to hold customers accountable for materials they’ve checked out.

To that end, NFPL has accelerated the timeline used for materials recovery. Customers who have opted for email notifications for overdue items will receive a reminder email at 7 days and 14 days overdue.

If an item remains unreturned at 28 days overdue, the customer will be billed for the cost of the item’s replacement fee, plus an administration fee. The customer’s account will also be blocked from further borrowing.

If the item remains unreturned at 56 days overdue, an additional $10 administration fee will be charged and a collection agency will begin the process of materials recovery from the customer.

Log into your Library account for a list of items you currently have checked out, along with their due dates.

You can also call the Library at 905-356-8080 or email at askus@nflibrary.ca to inquire about due dates.

To sign up for pre-overdue and overdue notices by email, log into your Library account and select the Account Preferences tab. From here, be sure to look at the Personal Information page and add your email by clicking Change.

NFPL offers automated courtesy renewals of materials - there’s no need for you to do anything. The automated renewal will occur if the item is not reserved for another customer. If it can’t be renewed, please return the item because another customer is waiting for it.

Customers who have signed up for email notifications of overdue items will receive a reminder email at 7 days overdue and a follow-up email at 14 days overdue. At 28 days overdue, a replacement fee and administration fee will be billed to the customer and the customer’s library account will be blocked from borrowing. At 56 days overdue, an additional $10 administration fee will be charged and a collection agency will begin the process of materials recovery.

To help you with this issue, please contact Library staff by phone at 905-356-8080, by email at askus@nflibrary.ca or in person if visiting a Library location.

Please consider a donation to the Library in lieu of paying fines. Niagara Falls Public Library is a registered charitable organisation and donations over $20 are tax deductible. We are grateful for your support.

To help you with this issue, please contact Library staff by phone at 905-356-8080, by email at askus@nflibrary.ca or in person if visiting a Library location.