On July 1, the MIT Libraries will implement a new fine policy for overdue books and materials.
The daily fine for a 28-day item will change from 25 cents per day to 50 cents per day. The fine for reserve materials will change from $1 per hour to $3 per hour. The charge for replacing a lost a book will go from $125 to $150.
"Fines haven't increased since 1991, and we've discovered that the current rates are not enough of a deterrent," said Steve Gass, the MIT Libraries' associate director for public services. "This has been particularly problematic with materials put on course reserve. We need to make sure the information that our users rely on us to provide is readily available to all students, faculty and staff. Fortunately, the vast majority of our users follow the rules and won't be affected."
The Libraries will continue to e-mail courtesy notices to remind users of upcoming due dates on items as well as the new policy. Patrons who can't return materials to the libraries on time are encouraged to renew online by using the "Your Account" feature in Barton. To learn more about managing your library account and avoiding fines, stop by the circulation desk of any MIT library.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on May 12, 2004 (download PDF).
