Management: If We Charge Them, Will They Come? Fostering Positive Relationships with Students by Remaining Fine-Free

Abstract

In the introduction to their column, co-authors Emma Wood and Jessica Almeida aptly note that libraries and fines have long been synonymous. The notion of librarians as punitive avengers, be it for enforcing silence or demanding payback for overdue items, is commonly held and has been widely caricatured. The image is one that, more and more, many of us don’t embody or wish to embrace. Against a backdrop of social theory, and with an emphasis on customer service and relationship building, Wood and Almeida present an appealing, practical alternative in the form of a fine-free framework. While not necessarily adaptable to all library environments, the model—along with its broader impacts—is well worth considering.—Editor