When you’re buried in books, it can be easy to forget to return them.
Sophomore acting major Emily Vanni will be paying a fine soon for overdue library materials. She said that she was not informed until after the books were due.
“I had two overdue books just recently,” Vanni said. “It was maybe like two days ago or so I got an email saying they were overdue.”
She said that she is willing to pay the fine because the books are only a few days overdue. But students who are not as willing have an alternative.
“Fines are enforced,” library director Lois Szudy said. “But if students have extenuating circumstances, we have a form they can fill out to try to get their fines waived.”
The form can be filled out at the library, but the easiest solution for students who take advantage of the library’s services is to check their email for overdue notifications that are sent one day and three weeks after items are due. Students are fined 25 cents per day each day they don’t return overdue items.
The circulation policy at the library is very similar to the policy at the Westerville Public Library.
Books can be checked out for 21 days before having to be returned, and a fine of 25 cents is charged for every day a book is overdue. Both libraries have a cap of $10 on their fines, meaning this is the most a student or community member would have to pay.
At Otterbein’s Courtright Memorial Library, a student can renew a book up to six times.
Szudy said that the library’s goal is to make materials readily available to all students who might need them.
If someone holds onto a book for too long, this goal cannot be met. Fines simply help to police how long one person can hold on to shared material,” Szudy said.
“Our biggest concern is getting materials returned so that all can make use of our resources.”
When fines add up for an Otterbein student, the library benefits monetarily. Though fundraising is not the purpose of fining students, Courtright Memorial Library is able to use the money it takes in from fines to improve library services.
“The money is used to purchase lost and missing items, for upgrading security systems to keep materials safe and to improve library services that will assist students (to) make better use of the library,” Szudy said.
Students with further questions regarding the library’s services or circulation policy can stop by the first floor reference desk and talk to a librarian.
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