Charges for Overdue and Lost Material

Borrowers are responsible for library materials until they are checked in at an appropriate location. Restrictions are posted at individual book returns. Book returns are cleared daily or as posted. Materials returned after the circulation desk closes may not be checked in until the next day that the circulation desk is open. Most circulation and reserve desks close 15 minutes before the library closes. Recalled materials are considered overdue if they are not checked in before the circulation desk closes on the recall due date.

The library is not responsible for notifying borrowers that materials are overdue. Reminders and overdue notices are mailed as a courtesy. These notices are not sent by postal mail if an e-mail address is not available. Failure to receive reminders or overdue notices does not excuse borrowers from the responsibility of returning or renewing items on time to avoid penalties.

Overdue Charges

Two-Hour, Twenty-Four Hour, and Library-Use charges:

$3.00 per hour or fraction thereof

$36.00 maximum fine

Three-Day and Seven-Day charges:

$6.00 per day or fraction thereof

$36.00 maximum fine

Fourteen-Day,Twenty-Eight-Day and Semester Loan charges:

$.60 per day or fraction thereof

$21.00 maximum fine

Materials recalled for Reserve or for the use of another borrower:

$1.00 per day or fraction thereof
beginning with the first overdue day after the recall due date

$35.00 maximum fine even if the item is already overdue when recalled

Note: Faculty, Staff, and Special Borrowers are not assessed fines, but they are assessed billing service fees and charges for damaged or lost items. (See Replacement Charges.)

Damaged Material Charges

Repair

material which can be repaired without rebinding

$25.00

Rebind

material which can be repaired only by rebinding

$25.00

Replacement

charge for material too badly damaged to be repaired or rebound

See charges below.

Replacement Charges

A user or borrower is assessed replacement charges when material is damaged beyond repair, when material is declared lost by the borrower, or when an item is billed as overdue by the Libraries. Items are billed as overdue if they have not been renewed or returned within a specified time after the due date, depending on the loan period.

The replacement charge represents the cost to the library when an item is billed or lost, including the cost of purchasing and processing a replacement where applicable. The charge may include the following:

   $25.00 processing fee
+ $25.00 billing service fee
+ replacement cost of item* and $25.00 binding fee if applicable

Borrowers who wish to replace a lost item, thereby eliminating the item cost, may present a new copy of the same edition to a circulation supervisor at the library from which the item was checked out. The Libraries reserves the right to determine whether a copy submitted is acceptable. If the copy is accepted, the item cost will be canceled. Other applicable fines or fees remain even if the item itself is replaced.

To discuss replacement other than by an identical copy, contact the subject specialist responsible for the collection to which the item belonged.

* The cost assessed for billed or lost items is in most cases a default amount representing the average cost of items in a particular library or collection. If the actual item cost is significantly greater than the established default cost, library staff may change the assigned cost to reflect the actual cost of the item, as determined from available sources of cost information.