Wirral’s libraries are extending an olive branch to borrowers who have library books that are more than three months overdue.

For a six-week period, starting on Monday, February 15, until Saturday, March 27, there will be an amnesty on fines for books that are long overdue for renewal.

It is hoped that by offering this respite, libraries will be able to replenish their book stock and maybe encourage lapsed users to get back into the habit of visiting their local library in the knowledge that they have no fine hanging over them.

Cllr. Bob Moon, Wirral Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Leisure and Tourism, said: “I don’t believe any borrower deliberately sets out to not return books, it is just that circumstances sometimes mean that they either forget or are unable to renew or return them in time.

“And often the longer they are overdue, the harder it is for people to return them as they are either embarrassed about it, or are unable or unwilling to pay their fine.

“What we are saying to people by introducing this amnesty on fines is, ‘we understand, come back, bring the books back so that other people can borrow them, and let’s turn over a new leaf’.”