Loan Policies and Fines

• Library Material Loan Policy
• Collection Agency
• Renewals
• Reserves
• Claims Returned/Never Had
• Returning Items
• Lost Item Policy
• Interlibrary Loan (ILL)

Library Material Loan Policy:

 

MATERIALS	OVERDUE FINES	CIRCULATION PERIOD
Books, Magazines & Paperbacks, Music CDs	$0.15 per day $5 maximum not to exceed replacement cost	3 weeks
Educational/Non Fiction DVDs	$1.00 per day $10 maximum	3 weeks
Entertainment DVDs (10 total allowed)	$1.00 per day $10 maximum	3 days
Compact Discs	$0.15 per day $5 maximum	3 weeks
Unabridged Books on Cassette or CD	$1.00 per day $10 maximum	3 weeks
Abridged Books on Cassette or CD	$0.15 per day $5.00 maximum	3 weeks
Kits	$1.00 per day $10 maximum	3 weeks
JKits and JAudios	$0.15 per day $5 maximum	3 weeks
CD-ROM	$0.15 per day $5 maximum	3 weeks
BookXpress	$1.00 per day $10 maximum	14 days
DVDXpress (2 total allowed)	$2.00 per day $10 maximum	3 days
Playaways (digital players)	$1.00 per day $10 maximum	3 weeks

 

Additional Information:

• Reserves, for which there is no fee, will be held for five (5) days from date of notification
• Interlibrary Loan items from libraries outside of the Southern Maryland Region may be renewed if permitted by the loaning library
• Card blocked from use - $10 in charges, 75 items checked out
• Renewals allowed if item is not on hold

 

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COLLECTION AGENCY

It is important to return materials on time. If you do not return items, they are listed as “lost” and become a fine on your account. If you owe fines of $25 or more on your account, your account will be sent to a collection agency for recovery. An additional $10 collection fee is charged. If you return materials, the overdue fines on the items and the $10 collection fee is due.

 

RENEWALS

Most materials may be renewed up to four (4) times if not reserved for another customer. Renewals may be done in person, by telephone or by accessing your library account by computer. Some materials may not be renewed. Please ask a librarian for clarification.

 

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RESERVES

When something you need is not on the local library’s shelf, you may reserve it or borrow it from another library. There may be a fee for this special service. You may use your library card and personal identification number (PIN) to request materials through a computer at the library or from a remote location, or ask a librarian for assistance.

 

When someone asks to check out a reserved item for another person, we will check it out using the barcode number. We will no longer require the requestor’s library card. The fact that the borrower knows that a book is waiting to be picked up for someone else implies that the requestor gave permission for that person to pick up the item.  

 

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 CLAIMS RETURNED and CLAIMS NEVER HAD

Please see a circulation supervisor to discuss fees for items you know you have returned. These issues will be resolved on a case by case basis.

 

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 RETURNING ITEMS

Materials checked out may be returned to any library branch in St. Mary’s County or in the tri-county area (Calvert and Charles). Materials returned to public libraries in these three counties will be immediately checked on COSMOS, the tri-county library automation system; thus, the customer will not incur fines if the items reach the home branch after the due date.

 

All St. Mary’s County Library branches have a 24/7 Return Slot. Materials in these bins at the start of the library business day will be considered returned by the previous day.

 

Materials returned to library branches outside the Southern Maryland tri-county area will accrue fines until they are checked in at the home branch.

 

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LOST ITEM POLICY

It shall be the policy of the St. Mary’s County Library to accept as payment for lost or damaged item cash equal to the replacement value of the item as identified in the catalog record, or the identical item in new condition. No substitutes will be accepted.

 

Should a patron return an item that has been recorded “ lost and paid,” the policy of the St. Mary’s County Library shall be to issue a refund upon presentation of the original receipt. All requests for refunds must occur within six (6) months of payment. The refund shall be the amount paid by the patron for the lost item, less a five dollars ($5.00) handling charge. If the cost of the item is under $5.00, there will be no refund because it is offset by the handling charge.

 

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INTERLIBRARY LOAN ( ILL)

Interlibrary loan ( ILL) is the service provided to obtain specific materials for customers which are not owned by the St. Mary’s County Library system or the other members of the Southern Maryland Regional Library consortium: Charles and Calvert County libraries.

 

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