Title
Staff Report for a City of San Leandro City Council Resolution to approve a one-time amnesty program that waives all outstanding uncollectable overdue fines as of January 4, 2021, and to remove Overdue Fines and the Non-Resident San Leandro Worker and Non-Resident Family Fee Card from the City of San Leandro's Fee Schedule
Staffreport
SUMMARY AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Staff recommends that the City Council approve a resolution to remove Overdue Fines and remove the Non-Resident San Leandro Worker and Non-Resident Family Fee Card from the City of San Leandro's Fee Schedule.
B. Staff also recommends that the City Council approve a resolution to authorize the San Leandro Public Library to implement a one-time amnesty and removal of all outstanding uncollectable overdue fines as of January 4, 2021.
BACKGROUND
The Library Department is an important and vital part of the City of San Leandro's services. The San Leandro Public Library reviews policies and procedures regularly, evaluating how to better serve the San Leandro community.
The American Library Association (ALA), the largest library-related professional organization in the world, seeks to promote and preserve public libraries as unique institutions where all people enjoy free and equal access to information. The ALA has officially recommended that all libraries eliminate overdue fines. In January of 2020, Library Administration and the Circulation Supervisor presented a proposal to the City of San Leandro Library-Historical Commission recommending the removal of Library overdue fines to provide better customer service and make the Library more equitable.
Section 18743 of the California Education Code encourages "equal access by allowing libraries to participate in universal borrowing, allowing anyone to check out items from their library regardless of residence, and requiring all member libraries of a Cooperative Library System to provide equal access to all residents of the system, not just those i...
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