People with overdue library books in Staffordshire are being reminded to return them before charges on late returned items are reintroduced.
The fees were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic at sites including Lichfield Library and Burntwood Library.
But Staffordshire County Council has now confirmed they will be reintroduced at 2020 prices from 1st July. A change will also see the age at which charges start to apply raised from 16 to 18.
Cllr Victoria Wilson, cabinet member responsible for libraries at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“It’s great to see the number of visits to our libraries on the rise again following the disruption and changes because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s lovely to have people back in using all the wonderful resources and groups in our libraries, many of which are free. Our libraries continue to be hubs in our local communities providing access to valuable services and activities.
“Where library borrowers still have items on loan from before March 2020, there is a fines amnesty throughout the month of June, so, if long-overdue books are returned, any charges will be waived.
“There’s also lots of things you can do to avoid any late return charges in the future so please speak to a member of staff when you’re next in your library.”
Cllr Victoria Wilson, Staffordshire County Council