Visited the tool library in Portland and saw a heated debate over late fees

I stopped by the Southeast Portland tool library last Saturday to borrow a pressure washer. Two volunteers were going back and forth about whether to charge a $5 late fee for a chainsaw that was returned 3 days late. One said strict fees keep people accountable and the other argued it pushes away low-income folks who need the library most. I'm curious how other libraries handle this balance between fairness and access.

1 comments

1 Comment

lisa_ross161mo ago

oh man, that's exactly the kind of thing that drove me crazy at our local tool library when I lived in Oakland. we had a sliding scale for late fees based on how late it was and we'd waive it if you called ahead to say you were having trouble getting back. like one time I was fixing a neighbor's fence and the nail gun just broke halfway through, I called them and they said just bring it back when you can, no charge. but then there was this guy who kept a tiller for two weeks past the due date without saying anything and that's a whole different story. the key for us was having clear rules but also room for volunteers to use their judgment, especially for folks who are obviously trying their best.