The Monroe County Public Library is doing away with late fees. The board of trustees approved the change at their meeting Wednesday night.

Library Special Audience Strategist Chris Jackson says right now, nearly 8,000 library card carriers can’t check out a book because they have more than twenty dollars in late fees.

To replace the late return fees, the library will start sending more notifications about late materials.

And if your materials are more than three weeks late you’ll get a bill for the item’s replacement cost. That’s around six weeks sooner than what it used to be.

“So if you are behind in your borrowing, you’ll get a bill for the cost of the item much more aggressively than you do currently,” Jackson says.

But under this system, once the late materials are returned, the replacement charge is waived.

He says other libraries have adopted this system and seen improved return rates and returning patrons.

The change will take effect at the beginning of March.

Read the preview to the meeting here.