Overdue
Fines 
Restrictions
& Flags 
Damaged
Books 
Lost BooksOVERDUE FINESThe Library charges an overdue fine of $.10 per day for each item overdue. This money goes into the College's general fund. If the return or renewal of books is grossly ignored or if fines accumulate, the Libraries will restrict library privileges. In some cases we may also restrict access to course registration, transcripts, the graduation process, etcetera. For further information please see FINANCIAL OBLIGATIONS TO THE COLLEGE.
It is now easy for users to avoid fines by using the self-renewal feature of GIL. For more information, see Accessing Your GIL Account Information.
SO IF THE LIBRARY DOESN'T GET THE MONEY, WHY DO THEY CARE ABOUT FINES?
Even with over 88,600 items at Darton, many of our materials are in demand by multiple users. We hope fines encourage users to promptly renew their books so they can learn about the items needed by others without relying on notification by the Library. We find this important since local addresses change so frequently in the college environment.
In addition, users browse our shelves, examining books to find items that best suit their needs. Books can be evaluated on the basis of chapter content, bibliographical references, illustrations, indexing, etc. With fines and the requirement of renewal at certain periods we hope to encourage the return of books no longer being used so they can be discovered and borrowed by other researchers.
If a borrower accumulates excessive unpaid fines, fails to renew books, fails to return books needed by others or fails to pay for lost or damaged books, the Library will restrict their library privileges. If the borrower is or has been a Darton student, their record will be flagged in the Darton Registrar's system. When Library privileges are restricted, the borrower cannot charge materials or request interlibrary loans. When records are flagged in the Registrar's system, the borrower will not be able to register for classes, graduate from the College or receive official copies of their College transcripts. Both restrictions and flags will be removed when the obligations to the Library are cleared. Some processing time may be required to remove either type of block.
It is highly recommended that borrowers leaving the College check their borrowing records to ensure that no materials are checked out to them and that they have met all Library obligations.
Borrowers accept responsibility for treating books with care. In the interest of the hundreds of students and community members that may use them over the years they must not be marked or have pages removed. Water damage from rain or spills is a particular problem: an irreplaceable book may have to be destroyed due to mold growth from moisture exposure. If a book is returned damaged the borrower will be assessed charges for repairs such as replacement of a warped or molding binding. If a book cannot be repaired, the user will be charged replacement costs which include the cost of replacing the book and in some cases a special processing fee. When a book is out of print, the borrower will be assessed costs for replacing the item with a similar title on the subject, except in cases where the item may be available through rare book dealers.
Tragically, even an excellent and recent book may be unavailable for replacement. There is no substitute for careful handling of materials.
When a book is lost, its loss should be reported promptly to the library. If it is then found or returned to us, we can notify the borrower promptly. In the meantime the borrower should search for the item and contact anyone who might have borrowed it from them. If the item is not found, the borrower will be charged replacement costs which include the cost of replacing the book and in some cases a special processing fee. As mentioned above, users will be charged the cost of purchasing a like title for the collection if the book is out of print.
If the borrower believes they may have returned the item, they should immediately initiate a search by contacting the Circulation Desk. If the item is found and shows signs of having been through any steps of the discharging process, it will be removed from the borrower's record and fines will not be charged. Until the item is in hand, however, it cannot be removed from the borrower's record.
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