Today I had a user who was noticeably upset complain to me about the very high fines they received when they returned a laptop back a few hours late. The student said that no one had notified them of the possibility of severe fines while they were checking out the laptop. I decided to review our overdue equipment policy more closely (found on the SMDC website:http://www.lib.udel.edu/multimedia/policies.html). I knew that the fee for overdue equipment is $15 a day BUT for laptops the fee is actually $15 per each hour that it is late, something I was not aware of.
Usually when I am checking an item out to a user I just tell them what time the item is due back and don't notify them of the consequences if the item is returned late. After this incident I will be more concious to tell a user checking out a laptop that the fines are $15 per each hour the laptop is late, because those fines can rack up very quickly. I think users will be appreciative of the warning and be more likely to bring the laptops back on time.
Thanks for the post Samantha!
ReplyDeleteI would like to point out that the overdue fines are displayed for patrons to view on the back of the three PCs at the service desk. While it is good to remind users of fines, it is ultimately their responsibility to inquire about fines on equipment or simply take the time to read the signage present at the service desk.