Do Library Fines Work? Analysis of the Effectiveness of Fines on Patron's Return Behavior at Two Mid-sized Academic Libraries

Abstract

Data on library fines imposed at Eastern Illinois University and the University of Hawaii at Manoa was extracted and compared to determine whether fines had an impact on the patron's return behavior. The results indicated that fines as well as patron group status (undergraduate, graduate, faculty) have an impact on the patron's return behavior.