Donation helps Davenport Public Library clear fines for youth cardholders

A generous donation should let many families indebted to the Davenport Public Library begin new chapters this summer.

The $4,000 grant made through the Quad Cities Community Foundation is erasing about $3,800 in library fines incurred by about 300 youth cardholders between June 2017 and January 2018. Each of the juvenile accounts selected currently owes between $5 and $20, a majority of which are late fees, library director Amy Groskopf said. 

“We’re hoping families who receive this benefit will take advantage of it and make sure their kids are participating in summer reading,” she said. “We’ve heard anecdotally that fines are a barrier for some folks.”

The gift comes from the John J. and Bette J. Schmid Fund, which was called a “substantial six-figure donation” when it was established in 2003 by the Community Foundation.