Why it matters: The amnesty, which runs until the end of February, will waive fines or agree to lower payments for people who cannot use their library accounts due to accumulated charges, making it easier for residents to access thousands of books for free.
The big picture: The year 2026 has been announced as the National Year of Reading with the theme of 'Go All In', a campaign commissioned by the Department for Education and delivered in partnership with the National Literacy Trust to tackle declining reading habits amongst children, young people and adults.
Suffolk Community Libraries aims to make the National Year of Reading its big campaign for 2026, with the goal of increasing reading for pleasure, literacy levels and library use across the county.
The details: During the amnesty period, library staff will work with customers to either waive fines completely or come to an agreement on lower payments. The amnesty only applies to adult books, as overdue charges were removed from children's books in 2019.
The initiative aims to encourage book returns from people who may have been afraid to bring them back due to accumulated fines, as well as stimulate book borrowing and encourage former customers to start using libraries again.
What they're saying: Krystal Vittles, head of library service for Suffolk Community Libraries, said: "The New Year is a great time for a fresh start, so we wanted to kick off our Year of Reading by making it easier for more people to visit and use their local library. Overdue charges encourage people to bring books back in time, but we know there can be many reasons for someone accumulating fines. We want to welcome these people back and make it even easier for everyone across Suffolk to have free and easy access to the many thousands of books we have to offer."
Nadia Cenci, Suffolk County Council's cabinet member for communities, said: "It's so important to encourage regular reading. There is much evidence that it can make a real difference to a child's education and success later in life if we get them reading and enjoying books from an early age, and reading is of real benefit to the wellbeing of adults too. I'm really excited about The Year of Reading and hope everyone in Suffolk will get behind it."
What's next: Suffolk Community Libraries will focus on the health and wellbeing benefits of reading during January and February, with specialist book collections already available. A formal Suffolk launch event is planned for February, and the summer Reading Quest campaign for children will return in 2026.
More information about the amnesty is available on the Suffolk Community Libraries website, where residents can also sign up for a free library account and card.
The bottom line: Suffolk is removing financial barriers to library access as part of a nationwide effort to reverse declining reading habits and get more people enjoying books in 2026.
