Loan Periods and Fees
While the majority of the library's services are free, fees do apply for overdue, damaged or lost items. If you have an outstanding balance on your account, you may be denied use of library services.
Fees, Borrowing Limits and Loan Periods
Extended loan fees, up to a maximum, accrue daily until overdue items are returned. The fee never exceeds the purchase price of the item.
There is a borrowing limit of 100 items per account. Some types of items have specific borrowing limits. Items may be renewed up to five times if there are no customer holds. Renewals for downloadable e-books, e-audiobooks and e-magazines are set by the vendor.
| Type of Material | Loan Period (days) | Borrowing Limit | Extended Loan Fee (per day) | Maximum Extended Loan Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baby Boosters Kits | 21 | $0.25 | $8 | |
| Books | 21 | $0.25 | $8 | |
| Book Club Kits | 42 | $0.25 | $8 | |
| CDs: Music and Audiobooks | 21 | $0.25 | $8 | |
| Chromebooks | 7 | 1 | $3 | $12 |
| Downloadable e-Books and Audiobooks | 21 | 6 | None | None |
| Downloadable e-Magazines from RBdigital | None | None | None | None |
| DVDs: New Entertainment and Feature-length Movies | 7 | $1 | $12 | |
| DVDs: All Other | 21 | $1 | $12 | |
| Magazines and Comic Books | 21 | $0.25 | $2 | |
| Playaways | 21 | $0.25 | $8 | |
| Playaway Launchpads | 7 | $1 | $12 | |
| Storyville Collection | 21 | $0.25 | $8 | |
| Video Games | 21 | 6 | $1 | $12 |
Damaged, Lost or Missing Items
Fees for damage to materials vary based on the extent of the damage up to and including the full replacement cost of the item. Service Desk staff at any of our branches determine the amount of damage to items.
Items 32 days overdue are automatically assumed to have been lost, and a Lost status is added to your account. When paying for a lost or damaged item, you are responsible for paying any accrued late fees, the replacement cost of the damaged, lost or missing item and a processing fee of $4.
The library does not accept substitute materials to replace damaged or lost items.
Replacement Costs
Replacement costs for most damaged or lost materials vary and depend on the purchase price of the item. Some items, such as cases or dust jackets, do not vary in their replacement cost. Standard replacement costs for these items are as follows:
Baby Boosters Kits:
- Damaged or lost book: $5
- Damaged or lost adult resource book, DVD or CD: $15
- Damaged or lost knapsack: $10
- Entire kit: $115
Barcodes: $1
Book Club Kits:
- Damaged or lost book: $5
- Damaged or lost carry bag: $40
- Entire large (12-book) kit: $100
- Entire small (8-book) kit: $80
Booklets or printed materials accompanying CDs, DVDs, Playaways, Playaway Views or video games: $2
Cases, bags or binders accompanying items such as CDs, DVDs, interlibrary loans, Playaways, Playaway Views, Playaway Launchpads or video games: $2
Chromebooks:
- Damaged or missing charger: $30
- Damaged or missing device: $386
- Damaged or missing case: $17
- All damaged or lost (device, charger and case): $433
Comic books (excluding graphic novels):
- $3 replacement charge
- $2 processing fee
- Accrued late fees
Dust jackets: $4
Engravers: $10
Magazines:
- Replacement cost of issue
- $2 processing fee
- Accrued late fees
Marina Interlibrary Loan items:
- $25 plus accrued late fees
- $4 processing fee
OCLC Interlibrary Loan items from Maryland academic and out-of-state libraries:
- Replacement fee to be determined by owning library
- $4 processing fee
- Accrued late fees
Playaway Launchpads:
- Damaged or lost device: $149
- Damaged or lost charger: $20
Playaway Views:
- Damaged or lost viewer: $100
- Damaged or lost charger or power cord: $20
Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Tags: $1
Refunds on Returned Lost or Missing Items
The replacement cost for lost material will be refunded if the item is found and returned to the library within six months of the date of payment. The item must be returned with the payment receipt. The processing fee and accrued overdue fees up to the maximum charge are not refunded. No refunds are given on damaged materials. No refunds are given for damaged or lost material that were borrowed for the customer from another Maryland academic or out-of-state library (OCLC Interlibrary Loan).
How to Pay Fees
Fees may be paid online or in person at any branch.
Online
Pay fees online using a major credit card. A 25-cent convenience fee is added to the total for each transaction.
- Log in to My Account.
- Select Fees on the left of the screen.
- Choose the fees you want to pay by selecting the check boxes on the left side of the screen.
- Select Pay Fines Now at the bottom of the screen and follow the instructions. Each transaction is secure and the library does not retain credit card information.
In Person
Pay fees with a major credit card or Tap and Pay at any branch's self-service check out station or stop by the Service Desk to pay with cash, personal check (with valid identification), credit card or Tap and Pay.
Any returned check results in an additional $25 fee.
Partial Payments
Arrangements for partial payments of fees can be made at any branch’s Service Desk. If total fees are $25 or more, a minimum of 10 percent must be paid in order to use a public computer or borrow materials. A maximum of two items, including DVDs and video games, may be borrowed while making partial payments. All fees must be paid within six months of the initial payment.