Tuesday, July 27, 2021

Making Life Easier - No Overdue Fines


Russell County Public Library wants to make using library resources easier for you, whether you like to read a good, old-fashioned printed book or magazine or you want to download and read anywhere. Here are some ways you can improve your library experience, plus an exciting announcement!

Let us set a PIN on your account so you can log into your account. See what you have checked out and when it's due. You can update your address, phone, and email. You can also change how we notify you. Want email notices? Or do you prefer a text message?

What if you want your arrived holds to come via text message but want all your other notifications, like overdue or account expiration notices, to go to your email account? Yes, you can do that! You can set how you want to receive each type of notice.

Your final overdue notice will always be mailed via the United States Postal Service. And that final notice will be a surprise for you. Since we are not charging overdue fines anymore, that final notice contains the charge for replacing the material you have not returned. Ouch! But as long as you return the material, even after we've sent the notice, we only charge you the service fee of $5. Just bring it back for the next patron, okay?

Are you still waiting for us to be clear about that 'no overdue fines?' We will no longer be charging overdue fines. In the digital age, so many materials circulate virtually, and there are no fines on ebooks or digital magazines. After the due date and all your renewals are used up, the material is just no longer available to you. Mailing overdue notices cost the library staff time and materials. It was no longer a good source of revenue. And it always felt a little weird having income that counted on you not returning your stuff on time.

You can read more about our fine-free policy on our website.

 

 

Posted by Kelly McBride Delph

 

 

 

 

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