How to Avoid Being Bitten!

Imagine this scenario: "Two hundred and sixty bucks!! Is this some kind of joke? Somebody’s trying to get rich!" An unhappy student has just received a library bill. But the process that resulted in the bill doesn't happen overnight. When the items were checked out to the student, a due date was stamped on the material. The first step to avoiding fines is to keep track of those dates! After the due date came and went, a courtesy e-mail was sent to notify the student that they had items that were overdue. Unfortunately, the person in this scenario never checked his/her e-mail, so the notice went unseen. (And remember, all Parkland students have Parkland e-mail accounts which should be checked regularly.) At this point, although the items were overdue, no fines had yet been levied.  But the clock is ticking, so… Step two to avoid a library fine? Check your e-mail!

Depending on the material involved, after a period of two to four weeks the patron's overdue items are considered "lost." This new status of "lost" means that actual fees are attached to our unaware student's account. A bill is mailed to the student, who upon reading it, is stunned…  "Two hundred and sixty bucks!" Now it's too late to avoid the fine's "bite." The only thing the student can do is reduce its sting. When items with fines are returned to Parkland Library, the value of those returned items are deducted from the patron's bill. In this example, the unhappy student with the $260 fine had borrowed four books valued at $50 each. Upon returning all four books, the total value of the books ($200) is deducted from the bill, leaving a balance of $60 to pay. Why $60? For each item that is fined, there is a $15 non-refundable processing fee. The student reluctantly goes to the Parkland business office and pays off the balance of their bill by credit card.