Revised Library Fine Policy
Gordon-Conwell’s libraries exist to serve the information needs of the entire seminary community. The library staff desires to provide quality resources to help equip women and men heeding the call of God to serve in his Kingdom! We desire to maximize access to our materials and to focus as much of our time and effort on serving the students of the seminary. To that end, effective February 1, 2013, Gordon-Conwell libraries are implementing a new policy regarding overdue items.
In essence, the libraries will no longer charge overdue fees for the majority of circulating items. This means that you will no longer be fined for books if they are overdue. It is not our desire to ‘charge’ anyone. It is our desire to see our collection get used to its fullest potential while protecting the collection’s integrity. To that end, we want to focus our efforts on caring for the collection rather than collecting fines!
New Policy
Click through the numbered tabs above to review the new policy.
Overdue Items
Fines will no longer be collected for overdue items, with the exception of those items placed on Course Reserves.* (See Tab 3.)
Once an item is overdue:- Patrons with the overdue item will be sent four notices of their overdue items (once per week after the item is overdue).
- All borrowing privileges for patrons with overdue items will be suspended.
- All overdue items can be returned before the fourth notice without incurring any fines.
- Once items have been returned, borrowing privileges will be restored.
*InterLibrary Loan books are an exception to this policy because they are not property of Gordon-Conwell. The library will pass on any fines or book replacement costs that have been levied by the lending library to patrons who may have lost, damaged, or kept overdue, the lending library's books.
Long Overdue Items
After the fourth notice (sent twenty-eight days after the items are overdue).
- The items will be declared "long overdue" and essentially considered “lost." *
- The patron will be charged a minimum of $100 for each item.
- If the publisher’s suggested price of a single item exceeds $100, the patron will be charged the full price, plus a $15.00 processing fee.
- These replacement charges will be sent to the seminary Accounting Office for collection.
- The library will purchase replacement copies.
- The patron will then “own” the items that have been declared lost.
*PLEASE NOTE: The library STRONGLY encourages patrons who actually lose items (or damage them beyond repair) to contact the library staff as soon as possible to explain the situation. The library has no desire to charge more than the cost of a quality replacement of the same edition in such cases.
Course Reserves:
Patrons with overdue Course Reserve materials will be charged $10.00 per day. As is the current practice, any patron with a $10.00 fine will have borrowing privileges revoked.
Implementation:
To facilitate this change in policy:
- All existing fines that have not yet been sent to the seminary accounting office will be forgiven. You read that right. It’s like the Year of Jubilee!
- All books returned to Gordon-Conwell libraries by February 28, 2013, will be received without any charge or fine being incurred. Seriously: Jubilee.
- All library patrons will not be able to check out or renew library items until they have indicated that they have read the new library policies.
Please fill out the "Acknowledgment of the New Fine Policy" below!
Acknowledgment of the New Fine Policy
As of February 1, 2013, all library patrons are required to acknowledge this new policy before being able to borrow or renew items from the library. Fill out the form below, or sign the form in person at the library circulation desk.
By filling out the form below, I acknowledge that I have read and understand the new library policy regarding overdue circulating and reserve items. I also acknowledge that as a patron of Gordon-Conwell libraries, I am responsible for the prompt return of library materials, and that I will be responsible for whatever expenses that are associated with overdue items and/or items that have been declared lost.
Direct Contact Information
Goddard Library - Hamilton
(978) 646-4074
glibrary@gcts.edu
Harold Lindsell Library - Charlotte
(704) 527-9909
hllibrary@gcts.edu
Bruce Jackson Memorial Library - Boston
(617) 427-7293
bjmlibrary@gcts.edu
Jacksonville Library
(904) 354-4800
jaxlibrary@gcts.edu
