Charging late fees at a school library

[GoldenEagle]

Today I was bored and decided to head up to the library to see about picking up some books to refresh my knowledge of HTML and Java Script. The books they have are old but they are still pretty useful I figured. I picked out some books and headed to the check-out desk.

Much to my surprise, I had a fine of about $5 on my account. I knew I had paid the parking ticket I got and should not have anything else owed Condi riding I had already paid all my tuition off. When I asked what it was, the lady said it was a fine for overdue books that I checked out over a year ago. The school library charges 20 cents a day for each day a book is late.

Is that ridiculous or what? How can a school library charge for overdue books? If it was not for students, that library would not be there. I can understand holding grades because of a book that was never returned but charging because a book is late is ludicrous at a school library. It is not like the books were in demand, they had not been checked out in over a year.

Of course, this is coming from the same school that would not allow me to eat at the cafeteria because my last third payment of tuition was a few days late.

[Desnudo]

I would sue.

[rkmsuf]

Did you put doodles of wee wees and pee pees in those books?

[Joe]

my grade school charged for overdue books, so its not surprising to me.

[Easy Mac]

This may be the most idiotic rant I've ever witnessed, and I've made plenty of them.

You can't get your diploma from the college I went through if you have overdue fines (I think it was like $.05 a day... I think I went to the library 10 times in 4 years)

[Logan]

I was charged for overdue books from elementary school thru high school.

Never took out any books here at Rutgers.

[GoldenEagle]

There is a difference between high school and college. Unless you went to a private school, you did not pay for the right to go to that school. Therefore, it is a privilege. As far as college goes, the library is funded by your tuition. As long as the books are received then all late fees should be wiped from the record.

I am not sure if the school will hold my degree or not. I guess I will find out the day I graduate.

[Desnudo]

The library is funded in a very tiny way by your individual tuition, also possibly by a donor. Since the other students, who's total tuition far outweighs your individual one, were unable to access the books that you so selfishly hoarded, I think a fine is appropriate.

[Easy Mac]

Well, you eventually moved your car, so why should you pay a fine for parking vioations?

[Klinglerware]

There is a difference between high school and college. Unless you went to a private school, you did not pay for the right to go to that school. Therefore, it is a privilege. As far as college goes, the library is funded by your tuition. As long as the books are received then all late fees should be wiped from the record.

I am not sure if the school will hold my degree or not. I guess I will find out the day I graduate.

It's not completely true that tuition funds college libraries; they are often separately endowed and/or operate somewhat autonomously from the university. Also, undergraduate students aren't the only people who use a university library, so people like professors and funded grad students don't pay out-of-pocket tuition to the school but still have library priveleges.

[Barkeep49]

In theory fines are not a means of revenue and you should be suspcious of any library that views them as such. Fines, instead, are meant as an incentive to help insue that the materials are acessible by encouraging people to return them and so having fines at any kind of library, whether public or private, makes a lot of sense to me. But then again I work at a library so perhaps I'm just a tad biased.

[Franklinnoble]

Today I was bored and decided to head up to the library to see about picking up some books to refresh my knowledge of HTML and Java Script. The books they have are old but they are still pretty useful I figured. I picked out some books and headed to the check-out desk.

Much to my surprise, I had a fine of about $5 on my account. I knew I had paid the parking ticket I got and should not have anything else owed Condi riding I had already paid all my tuition off. When I asked what it was, the lady said it was a fine for overdue books that I checked out over a year ago. The school library charges 20 cents a day for each day a book is late.

Is that ridiculous or what? How can a school library charge for overdue books? If it was not for students, that library would not be there. I can understand holding grades because of a book that was never returned but charging because a book is late is ludicrous at a school library. It is not like the books were in demand, they had not been checked out in over a year.

Of course, this is coming from the same school that would not allow me to eat at the cafeteria because my last third payment of tuition was a few days late.


Uhh.. no offense, but somebody call me the waaaaah-mbulance....

[judicial clerk]

Well, you eventually moved your car, so why should you pay a fine for parking vioations?

"Ahh, I think I found the problem Mr. Eagle, do you own a yellow Gremlin?"
"hell yeah, but I call it the 'chick magnet'. I used to love that car"
"Well we are going to need you to move it from in front of the Bookstore before we can give you your diploma, it is actually blocking a fire exit that we haven't been able to use for four years"

[JonInMiddleGA]

Uhh.. no offense, but somebody call me the waaaaah-mbulance....

Okay, I don't think I can beat that for summing up my take. I'm so sure you've just covered it in one try that I'm not even going to try to improve upon it.

[oliegirl]

How is charging fines at a school library any different than charging fines at a public library? By your definition, wouldn't your tuition to the school be the same as paying taxes to the county, which then in turn fund the library?

[SunDancer]

Here's a crazy idea:

Return the book on-time. Then you won't have to worry about fines in the first place.

[digamma]

Every school I attended charged a late fee on overdue books.

[TLK]

There has to be some sort of penalty for not returning the book on time. If not, why have due dates at all?

[GoldenEagle]

Maybe I am just spoiled since my previous school did not charge late fees. They said they did, but when they got the book back they cleared the chargers. On the books that were late, I was the only person to check those out in over a year. It just seems silly to charge someone late fees. I do not see it as a means of generating revenue. I just think you have the books back, so do not charge the late fees.

The main librarian did not even bother to charge me late fees when I checked out my books the last time I was there. I guess it is just a matter of preference.

You have to pay taxes, legally speaking. You do not have to attend college.

[gstelmack]

On the books that were late, I was the only person to check those out in over a year.
How do you know that wasn't because the person before you had them out for 6 months? How do you know someone else didn't want to check them out during the period you had them?

[Glengoyne]

Every school I attended charged a late fee on overdue books.
What he said.

[Joe]

maybe the library should eliminate their late fees, and just charge you for the book when you're a week late.

[GoldenEagle]

maybe the library should eliminate their late fees, and just charge you for the book when you're a week late.
Considering those books are valued at under a dollar, I think they did. They also get the book back.

[Fonzie]

I am not sure if the school will hold my degree or not. I guess I will find out the day I graduate.

You'd better believe they will. Most universities are very, very serious about settling up accounts before granting degrees.

[lurker]

On the books that were late, I was the only person to check those out in over a year.

Man, what a sense of entitlement. Hey, how do you know that there aren't people that reference those books while they're in the library working on a paper or something but don't feel like checking them out? I did that all the time in college.

[wbatl1]

Man, what a sense of entitlement. Hey, how do you know that there aren't people that reference those books while they're in the library working on a paper or something but don't feel like checking them out? I did that all the time in college.

Yeah, I very rarely check out books. I work in the library until I have the info I need, then I put the book back and leave.

[stkelly52]

I have never heard of any library any where that does not fine you for keeping items out late.

[Loren]

all I know is a couple of us almost didnt graduate from junior high because the librarian decided ON graduation day that we had books out so therefore couldnt graduate(id returned my book, i SWEAR) but she wouldnt budge..she was the bitch kind of librarian that looked like no one had poked her in 15 years..the bitch principal had to come and yell at her to let us go through with the ceremony :mad: ....THAT and i must owe one hell of a fee as ive had about 10 books out since june of last year..

[Honolulu Blue]

I have never heard of any library any where that does not fine you for keeping items out late.

Ours doesn't. They'll nag you if you're more than a couple of days late, and if you're 30+ days late, they'll bill you for the book or whatever.

You can read more details here (http://www.cadl.org/policies/borrowers/borrowersguide.htm).

P.S. I too have never had a school library not charge for overdue materials.

[Raiders Army]

Maybe they should eliminate Late Fees, put a huge poster up saying No More Late Fees, charge you the price of the book after a week after the due date and add it to your tuition, and refund it if you return the book (less a 15% stocking fee).

*ducks*





Or maybe they should change it to a gratuity where the norm would be 20% of the book price. Hey, we're paying that for food service right?