Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Amnesty for Overdue Items

Beat the Fees: Library Announces Amnesty for Overdue, Lost, and Stolen Items

It’s happened to all of us. You’re cleaning a closet or retrieving something from under the bed
and you discover a library book that should have been returned months ago. You’d forgotten
about it, and the library has stopped trying to get it back. If you bring it in and admit you had
it will you be charged? For all those months? What to do?

This is Mr. Opportunity calling…

In anticipation of the introduction of a new fee schedule for overdue library materials, both
LBCC libraries are announcing a first-time ever period of amnesty. Books belonging to LBCC
library that were lost, stolen, kept overdue, even found in a thrift shop can be returned with
no questions asked and no fees assessed between May 15 and May 31, 2011. Bring them
to the check-out desk, or drop them, anonymously, in the outside book return bin. Reserve
books are not included in this offer, and it will not be repeated once the new fee schedule
takes effect June 1, 2011.

So now’s the time to check everywhere to see what LBCC library books you might have kept
inadvertently so you can take advantage of this opportunity to return them without challenge
or penalty.

For more information contact: Nenita Buenaventura, Access Services Librarian goodventure04@gmail.com

Excessive Use Fees

Library Announces Fee Schedule to curb abuse of Student Lending Guidelines

At LBCC most books can be checked out by students for three weeks, and most students are conscientious about observing that borrowing limit. Some aren't, however, and when they keep books for an extra few days, or few weeks beyond the due date they are denying access to fellow students who may need them to complete papers and assignments. That's why both LBCC Libraries will be introducing a fee of 25 cents per day for them and other items that have been kept overdue. "Our objective with this fee isn't to penalize students," said Nenita Buenaventura, Access Services Librarian, "it's actually intended to help serve as a reminder to students, to encourage them to remember the return date and to think about the other students who may be waiting to use the books. We certainly know that times are hard, and that our students already are burdened with tuition and textbook increases, but no library user who is careful about remembering to return her/his books to the library on time will ever need to pay a dime."

The new fee schedule for excessive use goes into effect June 1, 2011. Here are the details of the new fees:

Item Fee
Periodicals (magazines) 25 cents per day
CD's (music) 25 cents per day
Audiobooks (tape, cd) 25 cents per day
College Catalogs 25 cents per day
Interlibrary Loan item 25 cents per day
Reserve book (hourly) 25 cents per hour
Reserve book (overnight) $3.00 per day

Things to know:
  • There is a maximum fee of $15 for most items, $99.99 for reserve items
  • A detailed fee schedule is posted on the Library Web page
  • Fees accrue during hours and days when the library is closed; items returned to outside return bins are not considered returned until collected on the next day the library is open.
  • Students with accrued fees of $2.00 or more will have lending privileges suspended until their library obligation has been reconciled.
For more information contact Nenita Buenaventura, Access Services Librarian

LAC Circulation (562) 938-4231, lac-circ@lbcc.edu
PCC Circulation (562) 938-3029, pcc-circ@lbcc.edu