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Borrowing

Lost Item Policy

The borrower of record is responsible for the safe and timely return of library material. Notification of overdue or lost material is a service provided by the library. Failure to receive a notice does not free the borrower of responsibilities (this includes all library user types, including Calvin faculty and staff).

An item is declared lost 45 days after the due date. A $100 fine will accrue for each item lost ($25 fine is charged for Recreational Reading items). The borrower will not be allowed to check out books until the fine is cleared. For students, the lost book fine is transferred to student accounts in Workday, maintained by Calvin’s Financial Services. After the fine is removed from the borrower's library account, they will again have unrestricted use of the library.

More Information on Replacement

The library's "Lost Book" fee is a flat $100. This fee is not dependent on the type of item, its popularity, or replacement cost: Borrowers who have lost library items cannot negotiate their worth and the fee to be paid based on any of these factors. In most cases, $100 does not cover the replacement cost. 

Borrowers who lose library materials must be held responsible for these costs, but the library reserves the right to determine how exactly an item will be replaced: Borrowers may not simply replace the item themselves. There are many issues associated with purchasing a replacement, and library staff are more experienced in making these decisions, knowing where to locate the best purchase price, and will make a final decision based on the best interests of the library.