HAMILTON PUBLIC LIBRARY READ DOWN YOUR FINES
Children and teens 19 and under can read in the Library to pay off their overdue fines. This can be done at the Hamilton Public Library. Once signed, children and teens will receive one dollar ‘credit’ for every 30 minutes spent reading. The credit can be used to remove overdue fines. Reading down fines counts toward overdue Library fines cannot be applied to lost/damaged items.
While in the Library, participants receive credit for:
FAQs:
Q: How do I qualify? A: If you’re 19 years old or younger and have a Hamilton Public Library card with fines, you’re eligible! You just have to log time reading at HPL. Check with a staff member for help.
Q: What fines will be waived? A: All overdue fees accrued on your card, as well as lost card replacement fees. We will waive overdue fees and library card replacement fees only. If you have lost your library card and need a replacement, and you are participating in the program, let Library staff know—it will be replaced without a fee.
Q: If I don’t have fines on my account, or I already paid the fines, can I get cash or credit for reading at the Library? A: No. The Read Down Your Fines program waives outstanding fees only. No reimbursement of past fines or credit towards possible future fines will be provided.
Q: How much time do I need to spend reading? A: The program is based on 15-minute reading intervals. Lesser time cannot be credited. Fines do not need to be ‘read down’ in a single interval. Larger fines can be ‘read down’ over several weeks or months.
Q: Do I have to read to receive credit, or can I watch a movie, listen to music or surf the web at the Library? A: Only print reading material qualifies for credit, but that means more than just books—you can also read graphic novels or comic books, magazines or newspapers. Listening to a book (a friend or caregiver reading to you) also counts. Watching movies, even if based on a book, or listening to music do not count. Let our Library staff know if you need help finding something to read.
Q: Can I read to reduce fines accrued on another person’s account? A: A parent or caregiver may read to a child, thereby reducing the fees on the child’s account (not the parent’s). Otherwise, no, you must read away the fees on your own account and cannot reduce the fines of other cardholders.
Children and teens 19 and under can read in the Library to pay off their overdue fines. This can be done at the Hamilton Public Library. Once signed, children and teens will receive one dollar ‘credit’ for every 30 minutes spent reading. The credit can be used to remove overdue fines. Reading down fines counts toward overdue Library fines cannot be applied to lost/damaged items.
While in the Library, participants receive credit for:
- Reading by themselves
- Reading to/with younger children If children are reading to each other, both earn credit
- Infants and pre-school children can be read to by a parent or other caregiver
FAQs:
Q: How do I qualify? A: If you’re 19 years old or younger and have a Hamilton Public Library card with fines, you’re eligible! You just have to log time reading at HPL. Check with a staff member for help.
Q: What fines will be waived? A: All overdue fees accrued on your card, as well as lost card replacement fees. We will waive overdue fees and library card replacement fees only. If you have lost your library card and need a replacement, and you are participating in the program, let Library staff know—it will be replaced without a fee.
Q: If I don’t have fines on my account, or I already paid the fines, can I get cash or credit for reading at the Library? A: No. The Read Down Your Fines program waives outstanding fees only. No reimbursement of past fines or credit towards possible future fines will be provided.
Q: How much time do I need to spend reading? A: The program is based on 15-minute reading intervals. Lesser time cannot be credited. Fines do not need to be ‘read down’ in a single interval. Larger fines can be ‘read down’ over several weeks or months.
Q: Do I have to read to receive credit, or can I watch a movie, listen to music or surf the web at the Library? A: Only print reading material qualifies for credit, but that means more than just books—you can also read graphic novels or comic books, magazines or newspapers. Listening to a book (a friend or caregiver reading to you) also counts. Watching movies, even if based on a book, or listening to music do not count. Let our Library staff know if you need help finding something to read.
Q: Can I read to reduce fines accrued on another person’s account? A: A parent or caregiver may read to a child, thereby reducing the fees on the child’s account (not the parent’s). Otherwise, no, you must read away the fees on your own account and cannot reduce the fines of other cardholders.