RADFORD – Forced by the pandemic to close its doors, the Radford Public Library waived all fines through the course of the pandemic, which left many books and other checked-out materials in the hands of patrons for more than a year.
Further, the library did not accept returns for the first several months of the lockdown period. Now, however, with the library re-opened for business, the staff is encouraging patrons to return all overdue materials to the library before Sept. 1 when fines will finally resume after being waived since March 2020.
“As regular library hours and services return to the Radford Public Library following the COVID-19 pandemic, the library is extending an overdue fee forgiveness window,” the library has announced. “Items have been renewed automatically during the pandemic to prevent fees from accumulating. While library hours resumed as normal on June 1, fines have continued to be suspended in an effort to entice patrons in during the Summer Reading Program and also to gently ease them back into the generating of fines.”
“The Radford Public Library wants our patrons to return without feeling burdened by overdue fines, so fines have been suspended through the end of August, 2021,” the announcement says.
“Now RPL will begin a campaign in which we ask patrons to return all overdue items so that folks who have been waiting for holds can finally read that book or watch that movie they’ve been waiting to experience,” the announcement says.” Please bring back all overdue items before Sept. 1, and your overdue fines will be waived, no matter how overdue those items may have been. Lost or damaged items are not included, but RPL will work with you. If you need any additional lenience, please don’t hesitate to ask”.
Overdue fees will resume on Sept. 1 with the same 10-cents-per-day rate as before. A good chance to bring back materials could be this Saturday, Aug, 7 at 11 a.m., when the library is hosting a special bird-watching and storytime outdoor event with a representative from the New River Land Trust “to learn about bird watching, local birds, and our new outdoor exploration backpacks, and to even enjoy a story or two.”
— Heather Bell
