By: Jack Wilford | Photo editor
Photo Cred: Jean Hellwege
It’s the last day of school, and you’re finished with your finals. You go home and empty your school bag, but one thing remains: the library book you forgot to turn in before the end of the semester.
LSE’s Media Specialists have started a final push to get students to turn in their missing library books before the semester ends.
Before this year, every day past a book’s due date would cost a student five cents. This year, on the other hand, students are not charged for books past their due date.
“Now books that are overdue [after a 21-day checkout period] for 45 or more calendar days automatically go to lost status,” said Media Specialist Jean Hellwege. “These books no longer show up as “checked out” on the student’s library account but are still part of the student’s account history and the student is still responsible for the book.”
For each book a student is can be charged between $10-40. The fines on a student’s account will remain on their account until the book is returned, or the fine is paid.
“As of December 12, 456 teachers and students have overdue books, [and] many students have more than one overdue book,” said Hellwege.
That is 22.44% of students missing library books. The penalties of missing books don’t stop there, and affect more than just the student who is missing the book. A student with a fine for an overdue book may not be eligible to buy tickets for prom or homecoming. The missing book also prevents other students from checking that book out.
“It is especially troublesome at the end of the semesters because teachers bring students in to hear book talks at the beginning of each semester. When students have not yet returned their books they checked out in August, I cannot book talk those books since we do not have them on the shelf,” said Hellwege.
Students can turn in books to the library from 7:00 to 3:30 on school days. The last day to turn in missing books for the first semester is December 22. If students have any questions they can ask any media specialist in the media center.
