Clearing up library fines

Clearing+up+library+fines

The school library is a place any student can go to check out books and materials, but if a student keeps the materials past the three week checkout period, they are penalized with a fine. 

Books can be checked out for three weeks, and each student gets a two day grace period before fines start accruing. Librarian Bethany Bratney said the fines do not support the library financially. Instead, they are in place to encourage students to return or renew their books before they are due.

“We want the materials to be checked out, but if they’re not being used, we want them to be returned,” Bratney said. “And so having a checkout period and then charging a fine once that checkout period has been reached encourages the students every three weeks to think about “Am I still using this book actively? If not, I should return it and, if I am, I should renew it.’” 

But the library faces issues with getting students to pay fines. Bratney said there are students who don’t agree with the fine system, and others who feel like the accuracy of the system is faulty. 

“I try to be very open and clear, especially with ninth grade students coming in, that these are our policies and I don’t want you being surprised by them,” Bratney said.

Fines start accumulating on the third day past the materials’ return date, and start at 15 cents a day. Each day that the material isn’t returned, five cents are added to the fine. The highest fine a student can accrue is five dollars total per item. The library communicates with students about their fines through their email system.

“We run an overdue and fine report every week that sends emails automatically to any students who have an overdue book or who has a fine on their account to notify them that those things are in place,” Bratney said. “Sometimes students have placed holds on books and are waiting actively on them. If the book is checked out and overdue, we may send direct specific emails to students who have overdue books to let them know that someone is waiting and if they could please return their book.”

Students can go to the library to return, check out and renew materials. Materials can also be renewed online on Destiny Discover through the link below.

https://search.follettsoftware.com/metasearch/ui/27273