Library Trustees Vote to Go Fully Fine-Free, Approve $3,350 Community Room Floor

GREAT BARRINGTON -- January 19, 2023, Great Barrington Library Trustees voted unanimously to make both Mason and Ramsdell libraries fully fine-free for all lending categories, including hotspots and museum passes. Library Director Samara Ostfeld presented the revised fine-free initiative, which replaces overdue fines on high-value items with a lost-item fee equal to replacement cost, charged 24 hours after a due date and expunged if the item is returned within 28 days. The board also approved a $3,350 expenditure from Mason Library's $24,000 donated funds account to replace the degraded carpet in the basement community room with laminate flooring, a step toward reopening the space for public programs and meetings. Ostfeld announced a state aid award of $8,150.97, with a first disbursement expected within two weeks, and noted the library holds roughly $27,000 in its existing state aid account. The draft fiscal year 2024 budget holds flat year-over-year, a deliberate choice Ostfeld said was designed to focus any budget increase on ongoing union contract salary negotiations.