Rotorua Library fines-free policy sees 42 per cent membership jump

A Rotorua library membership jump has been attributed to the removal of fines and a competition for Six60 tickets.

Te Aka Mauri the Rotorua Library removed overdue fines on July 1 this year, and on Monday reported it gained 540 new members in July and August, a 42 per cent increase on the previous two months.

The new members were mostly adults but also included children, teenagers and seniors.

Rotorua Library director Laura Marshall believed the increase in membership could be attributed to the removal of overdue fines and a library-run competition to win Six60 tickets.

People who signed up for full memberships in July and August went into a draw to win tickets to the band's November 12 concert.

"The promotion of the fines-free change and competition has really reminded our community that the library is here," Marshall said.

"People are no longer scared of fines and the added awareness has led to more people coming in to explore all the library has to offer."

She said that before July 1 fines created a barrier for those who most needed the types of services offered by libraries.

"Rotorua Library has followed the lead of many national and international libraries to remove the fines and expects further increases in membership and participation in accessing resources and attending events hosted by the library."

She said as well as an increase in memberships over the period, the library had welcomed increased numbers of visitors through the door.

Te Aka Mauri the Rotorua Library and Children's Health Hub. Photo / Supplied

In June, Marshall told the Rotorua Lakes Council operations and monitoring committee the fines-free policy was expected to result in a revenue loss of about $25,000 a year, which the library hoped to mitigate.

At the time, Marshall said that based on national trends, the library could stand to gain 1000 to 5000 new members by switching to a fines-free model.

Rotorua joined 18 other districts' libraries in removing fines, and among 574 worldwide, she said.

Local Democracy Reporting asked what the revenue loss had been for July and August, and what steps had been taken to mitigate it.

Marshall said she estimated the library had issued about $2000 per month in fines but it was "not possible to accurately predict".

"The amount of overdue fines has been decreasing as customers have increasingly moved to online, fines-free services."

She said the library remained "vigilant" about operational costs and making reductions where possible.

"One area we'd had some savings in is security, by making greater use of the Safe City Guardians and reducing use of external contractors."

She said staff were enjoying spending less time on enforcement but instead having time "to reach out to more people in our community".

Wiremu Keepa said he used the library almost every day to study and enjoyed its many facilities and activities.

Wiremu Keepa.Photo / Andrew Warner

"I like the interaction and the contact and to see people come and go.

"There's only a small fraction of the population that come here and I reckon more should come.

He said the 42 per cent increase in membership was great but he would like to see that rise to 420 per cent.

"There's no barriers now."

He said one improvement could be more and free parking but acknowledged it could be difficult to enforce.

Wacky Warm Ups is a knitting group which meets at the library on Mondays and Fridays between 9am and 12pm, knitting items for charities such as Tipu Ora, Salvation Army, Fordlands Community Centre and daycares.

Wacky Warm Ups knitters, from left to right: Kathy Reid, Lorraine Barry and Morag Mackenzie. Photo / Andrew Warner

Member Morag Mackenzie said the boost in membership was "great".

She and fellow members Kathy Reid and Lorraine Barry agreed the removal of fines would have helped encourage new members and said the library was often abuzz with activities for all ages.

Rotorua Library membership gives access to books, videos, magazines and newspapers, as well as digital access including more than 20,000 e-books and 2400 audiobooks.

Local Democracy Reporting is public interest journalism funded by NZ On Air.