Fines Appeal Policy

Initial questions concerning the status of fines for overdue and lost material should be addressed to Circulation Services staff. Clients with fines for Interlibrary Loans (ILL) should initially direct fine enquiries to ILL staff. In the event that the matter is unsatisfactorily resolved, Library clients may choose to appeal within one calendar year of having first been advised of the fine.

Individuals wishing to appeal their fines are required to submit a Fines Appeal Form, downloaded from this website or available from Circulation Services. The completed form should be submitted to Circulation Services for review by the Fines Appeal Committee. 

Prior to completing the form, note that the following reasons and fine types are ineligible for appeal:

• lack of familiarity with Library borrowing policies
• forgetting the due date
• misplacing the date due printout
• not renewing by the due date
• failure to receive a courtesy overdue notice
• inability to renew online
• possible fines associated with ILL materials returned without the authorized book band
• fines accrued for material borrowed from other institutions through direct borrowing
• fines resulting from borrowing books on behalf of another person
• fines resulting from loaning a campus card / borrower’s card to another person
• fines accrued more than one calendar year from the initial notice of fines assessment
• previously paid fines

The Library’s principal mission is to support study and teaching. Therefore, at the discretion of the Circulation Services staff, the Library client may be permitted to borrow material until the next meeting of the Fines Appeal Committee.

Fines Appeal Committee

The Fines Appeal Committee is comprised of two Circulation Services staff members, the unit librarian, and a student representative assigned by TCSA. The Oshawa librarian will participate when fines and/or clients from this campus are involved. A representative from ILL will participate when ILL fines are appealed. The Committee meets once a month or more as required. A quorum is necessary to make a decision on an appeal. As part of its assessment, the Committee may request supporting documentation from the Library client appealing the fine.

Decision

Once a decision is made, the client will be notified of the decision via Trent email within ten (10) business days. The Office of the University Librarian will keep records of the appeals for two (2) calendar years. Library clients who wish to appeal the decision of the Committee may do so in writing within ten (10) business days of receiving the decision of the Fines Appeal Committee. These appeals will be considered by the Library Advisory Sub-Committee, through the Office of the University Librarian.

Payment

Fines may be paid in person at Bata Library Circulation Services using cash, debit, or credit card or by telephone using a credit card by calling 705-748-1011 x7423.

At the Oshawa Campus Library fines may be paid in person using a debit or credit card.

Approved by the Librarians' Committee -- February 2011
Approved by the Library Advisory Sub-Committee -- April 2011

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Last Modified: June 1, 2011
Maintained by , Thomas J. Bata Library.