Abstract

This study analyzed the current status of late fee policies for overdue books in public libraries in the United States and Korea and derived measures to improve the late fee policy in public libraries in Korea. Therefore, this study analyzed the current status of late fee policies in public libraries in Seoul, Korea. The results indicated that 14.8% of public library operators and 21.6% of public libraries in Seoul had late fee policies. In the US, the American Library Association and major public libraries were found to have recently eliminated late fees. The main justification for this policy change was their recognition of late fees as a form of social inequality. In fact, this study confirmed that the elimination of late fees led to users’ increased access to information. This study also found that public libraries in the US turned books not returned after a certain period into lost items and imposed fines for lost items. In conclusion, this study suggested integrating measures for late fees and lost items to manage non-returned books and clarifying the legal basis for such measures.