New Policy Doubles Overdue Fines

Overdue fines at Lamont and Widener Libraries double. starting Jan. 31, as part of a plan formulated by the University Library Council (ULC) that will impose a uniform loan and fine procedure on all the University's libraries.

"When one finds different policies, it's very confusing," said Harvard College Library Associate Librarian for Collections Jeffrey Horrell. "This was a way to simplify [the procedure] so that it is clear across the board."

Under the new regulations, the uniform fine at all libraries will be 50 cents per day on each 28-day loan, a $5 one-time fee per book on extended loans and a $2 per day fine on recalled material.

There will be only two types of loan periods: a 28-day loan, and an extended loan, where a borrower will have to return the book by one of two specified dates, Sept. 10 or Feb. 10, depending upon when the book is checked out.

Due to high demand and usage, Lamont, Hilles and Cabot Libraries will not offer extended loans. Reserve loans,

whereby professors may reserve certain books for short-term loans, will not be effected.

The 50 cent fine is double the previous fine at Widener and Lamont, which was 25 cents. The new loan period is the same as the current period at Lamont, and is only two days shorter than the current 30-day period offered by Widener.

"Frankly, I don't think it's that big of a deal," said William J. Adams '04. If a student can't manage to return a book on time, he said, "you deserve to pay the fine."

Other students, however, said they thought the increased fines would be an inconvenience.

"I would say that the higher fee is a bad thing," said Daria J. Hinz '04. "Last time I borrowed a book, it went down to the wire. I definitely wouldn't appreciate higher fines [because] I got overworked."

The policy change is based on a study conducted by a task force of the ULC over the course of a year.

When asked about the reasons for the new fine amount and loan period, Horrell said only that the new numbers were arrived at because they were the amounts the council could agree upon.

The report and the long-term consequences of the new policy were also discussed at Tuesday's Faculty Council meeting.

The reforms' objective, as stated in a release by the HCL Office of the Director of Communications, was "to accommodate growth in the use of library collections by students, faculty and staff, facilitated by the increasingly interdisciplinary conduct of teaching and research at Harvard."

"The most important part is communicating the changes," said Horrell.

Flyers made by the HCL staff are being passed out at each of the 11 library locations. Letters to members of the faculty and FAS are being distributed, as well.

Hollis, the university's online library database and index, is already prepared for the change, as are the individual libraries' computerized book-tracking systems.

All books that are currently out and those that will be borrowed before the Jan. 31 implementation date will be loaned under the current policies, which vary from location to location.