We will no longer charge fines on overdue loan items. This improvement to the library service is one of many to support you during the cost-of-living crisis.
This change will come into effect from 3 February at the Templeman and Drill Hall libraries.
Already have fines for overdue items on your account? Good news – return any overdue items as soon as possible and any related fines will be removed. You do not need to pay fines on any overdue items. Please contact IT and Library Support if you have fines over £10.00 and they will unblock your account.
Please remember that some other charges may remain on your library account until you clear them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
When does the no-fines policy start?
From 3 February 2023 you will no longer be charged fines for overdue items.
Why are you changing the policy?
We want to do all we can to help you with the cost of living, remove barriers to access within our libraries and improving the experience for our users. Removing fines is one way we are seeking to help you.
Does this apply to just books, or to everything?
The no-fines policy applies to all loans items available at any of the University of Kent libraries – including books, CDs and DVDs.
What about items borrowed via Document Delivery?
From 3 February all fines from overdue Document Delivery items will be stopped.
Does this apply to lost items as well?
No. After 14 days, if you have not returned the overdue item, we consider that the item is lost. We will need to ensure we have a way to provide it to others, so we will begin the process of invoicing you for the replacement cost plus a processing fee
If I graduated many years ago and just found a book I borrowed from Kent, can I return it now and not pay a fine?
Yes! We won’t charge you a penny, so this is a great time to return the book you only realised you had a decade after you were meant to return it!
If someone has a book I requested to borrow, will there be any incentive to return it if there are no fines?
The no-fines policy should encourage good community behaviour without need of financial penalties. Library users will be positively incentivised to share resources responsibly, so they are available to the whole community.
So, are there no consequences for bringing back an item late?
If you have an item on loan which is requested by someone else and you do not return it, you cannot borrow any more items until it is returned, or if lost, the replacement cost of the item paid. Other items you have borrowed will continue to automatically renew on your account.
How will I know my item needs to be returned?
If someone else reserves an item you have on loan, we’ll email you to let you know. If this happens you must return the item on time to avoid it becoming overdue.
Does the new policy apply to students and staff?
Yes! The no-fines policy will apply to both students and staff at the University of Kent.
Manage your loans and return dates
We recommend that you regularly log into your LibrarySearch account to keep an eye on your loans. Loan items will automatically be renewed until someone else reserves them or you return them.
We encourage all students and staff to respect the need for our resources to be available to the whole Kent community and return all loan items by their due date.
As we all deal with the hardship and the impact of the cost-of-living crisis we don’t want to add to anyone’s financial difficulties, and we don’t want anyone to be prevented from accessing our collections and resources.
Contact us
If you have any problems or concerns about borrowing, returns or fines, please get in touch and we’ll do our best to help:
IT and Library Support:
- helpdesk@kent.ac.uk
- Visit us: Block D, Ground Floor, Templeman Library
- 01227 824888
- Use the Chat to us button to launch online chat
Hi! Yes, these changes apply to staff accounts as well. We have added this to our FAQs. Thanks
Hello
Does this apply to Staff accounts as well as student accounts, please?
Thank you.