Dear Parents/Guardians,

On October 19, the New York Public Library, Brooklyn Public Library, and Queens Library announced fine forgiveness for NYC students; children under 18 years of age automatically had their library fines forgiven and had restrictions removed from their public library cards. High school students, ages 18 and over, can also have their fines waived by making an in-person request at their local library through November 2. The goal of fine forgiveness is to increase the likelihood that students with existing fines will borrow books and utilize programs at their local libraries.

Children and teens are encouraged to return any overdue materials from before October 19 to their local libraries. After this one-time amnesty, fines will begin to accrue again on any overdue items after October 19. For more details on library-fine amnesty, and to find a full schedule of events at all system-wide branches, see this page about fine forgiveness.