How does the no late fees at libraries work for the people who would be waiting for the documents?

I’ve lived in towns that have libraries without late fees, and it’s worked out great.

@flo: “The reason people return books etc, is because they don’t want to be charged.”

I’ll defer to our resident ex-librarian penguin, but I would very much disagree with this. In fact, in my experience, when you live in a town with no late library fees, you are more likely to return the book on time (or even early) because the consequence of doing so means that someone could possibly be waiting for it. When there is a fee, in the back of your mind (somewhere) you understand that someone could be waiting for the book. But the immediate consequence of a fine takes precedent.

Late fees change the relationship you have with the other library users, and makes it feel as though your responsibility is to the library.

I could be wrong. My experience might be unique.

I’m trying to understand @hmmmmmm.

^ Understand what? What I just wrote?

@hmmmmmm, I think what @flo meant is, “The reason I return books” (i.e., her reason). She certainly doesn’t speak for me.

I return books because I know they don’t belong to me, and because when I borrow them I agree to the return date. Sometimes I renew them, but when someone else has reserved them, I can’t. It’s only fair to keep my bargain just as I expect others to keep theirs. For my part, fear of punishment has nothing to do with it.

The book is still due, and the library will make you pay a replacement cost for the book if it is NEVER returned – the library considers the item lost after 30–40 days overdue.

What libraries have stopped doing is charging you 10 cents a day for each day overdue. Those were nasty annoying fines.

Yes, a library is kind of a communal commitment. Most people return books not to avoid paying fines but because they want the system to work. And generally if a book is reserved by someone else or needed you will get a reminder notice that the book is due back. Sometimes if a book is very popular it will be only lent out for a smaller number of days.

As @elbanditoroso says (the other Fluther librarian) the book is still due on a certain date and you will be charged if you keep it.

But largely there is a kind of communal compact that you will return them.

In support of what @hmmmmmm said, there is research to support the idea that feelings of social obligation are better motivators and deterrents than fines. A fine suggests, even if only subconsciously, that the problem with whatever generates the fine is a matter of economics (late fees are about covering loses rather than disincentivising undesirable behavior). And this in turn makes people think that there is a quantifiable monetary value to a particular violation—a price you can pay to make everything fair and square.

In other words, fines are likely to increase the unwanted behavior by offering a way to clear the slate, whereas feelings of social obligation tend to decrease the unwanted behavior because the only way to stay in the “good” column is to be a reasonably scrupulous participant in the social contract. This is the same idea behind the observation that “punishable by a fine” means “legal for rich people.” Not every undesirable behavior can be discouraged through the use of social means, of course, but it makes sense to do so where we can.

Good to know @elbanditoroso, re.“The book is still due, and the library will make you pay a replacement cost for the book if it is NEVER returned – the library considers the item lost after 30–40 days overdue..” and
@janbb re. “you will get a reminder notice that the book is due back. Sometimes if a book is very popular it will be only lent out for a smaller number of days.”