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I think tool libraries charging late fees actually hurts the whole system

Everybody seems to agree late fees are needed to keep tools coming back on time, but in my experience at the Portland shared workshop, waiving them for two years actually brought our return rate up to 94%. People were more willing to borrow risky items like tile saws when they knew a few days late wouldn't cost them $15. Has anyone else tried no-fee and seen better results or just chaos?
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hugo_coleman28
Read a piece in some library journal that said no-fee systems work better for keeping trust high and returns steady, kind of like what you saw in Portland. Makes sense to me people probably treat it more like borrowing from a friend than a rental place. Did you notice any tools getting beat up more without the fees?
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