Circulation and Library Fee Policy – Durham County Library

APPLICABILITY:

This policy applies to all circulating library materials, printing, 3D printing, and meeting rooms.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Circulation and Library Fee Policy is to establish regulations regarding the charging of fees for unreturned or damaged library materials, other circulation-related fees, printing, and meeting room usage.

POLICY:

Durham County Library does not charge fines for materials kept beyond their due date.

Customers are responsible for processing and other fees associated with the replacement of lost items and the repair costs for damaged items. The Library charges a per page fee for printing and per gram fee for 3-D printing. Fees are also assessed for the use of meeting rooms. Some meeting room spaces at Main Library will follow the Durham County Facility Use Policy regarding fees and availability. All fees are set by the Durham County Board of County Commissioners.

The following outlines loan periods for materials based on a full privilege library card, including printing and meeting room fees. Library card accounts are considered in good standing with fees not exceeding a $25 balance Customers cannot have more than 10 total holds across all material formats.

Books, audiobooks on CD, read-along kits, push and plays, puzzles, and CDs

Maximum allowed: 50
Holds allowed: 10
Loan period: 21 days
Renewals: 5

Feature film, documentary, juvenile DVDs

Maximum allowed: 50
Holds allowed: 10
Loan period: 7 days
Renewals: 5

TV Series DVDs

Maximum allowed: 5
Holds allowed: 10
Loan period: 21 days
Renewals: 5

Book Club Kits

Maximum allowed: 2
Holds allowed: 3
Loan period: 42 days
Renewals: 0

Interlibrary Loan

Maximum allowed: 5
Loan period: Set by the lending library
Renewals: Set by the lending library

Mobile Devices (Hot Spots)

Maximum allowed: 1
Holds allowed: 1
Loan period: 14 days
Renewals: 0

Total items per card

Maximum allowed: 50
Holds allowed: 10

Digital Collections: ebooks, downloadable audiobooks, emagazines, digital music, digital video

Maximum allowed, holds allowed, loan period, renewals: Varies by service. See Digital Collections page for more information.

Printing:

$0.10 per black and white 8 ½ x 11 page single-sided
$0.20 per black and white 8 ½ x 14 page single-sided
$0.25 per color 8 ½ x 11 page single-sided
$0.50 per color 8 ½ x 14 page single-sided

Maker / STEAM

3D printing: $0.10/gram of PLA filament.
Birch plywood – 6″ x 12″ x 1/8″ = $2.00 per sheet
Birch plywood – 12″ x 20″ x 1/8″ = $4.00 per sheet
Acrylic – 12″ x 12″ x 1/8″ = $8.00 per sheet
Two-Foot Poster – 24″ x 24″ = $5.00
Three-Foot Poster – 24″ x 36″ = $10.00
Six-Foot Poster – 24″ x 72″ = $15.00
Eight-Foot Poster – 24″ x 96″ = $20.00

Meeting Rooms

Nonprofits: no refreshments – free; refreshments – $25
Commercial/For-profit: meetings up to 4 hours – $100; meetings more than 4 hours – $200

See Meeting Room and Study Room policy for more information.

Lost and Damaged Materials:

Borrowed items are declared lost when they are reported by the customer or when they are 40 days overdue. At that time, the customer’s account will be assessed the replacement cost of the item plus a $5 processing fee per item. The replacement cost and processing fee will be waived if the item is returned in usable condition within six months of the date it was marked as lost. Once the replacement cost and processing fee have been paid, they are non-refundable, and the customer may keep the material. If a customer wishes to return an item after the grace period, it may be accepted at the Library’s discretion, but fees will not be waived.

Claimed returned status will last for a period of 90 days. If the item is not found by the Library within that 90-day period, the Library will convert the item to lost status, and the customer’s account will be assessed the replacement cost of the item plus a $5 processing fee per item.

When an item is returned or reported by the customer as damaged, the customer’s account will be assessed the replacement cost of the item plus a $5 processing fee per item. When a damaged item is withdrawn from the collection, the patron may keep the material when replacement charges (replacement value + $5) have been paid. Replacement items are not accepted.

Additional Information:

Items on waiting lists may not be renewed.
Items are declared lost at 40 days overdue.
Charges per lost/damaged item: item cost + $5 processing fee.
- Replacement items are not accepted.
Replacement library card fee: $1
Out-of-county card fee: $45 per year
Returned check fee: $15
Lost hotspot fee: $45, plus $5 processing fee
- Lost cords and chargers fee: $10, plus a $5 processing fee.
Hotspots are disabled when overdue.
Interlibrary loan materials must be returned to the checkout desk at the library where they were originally checked out. The lending library may charge fines or replacement charges for lost or damaged items.
Borrower accounts with fees exceeding a $25 balance will not be considered in good standing with the Library and will be blocked from borrowing items or reserving Study/Meeting rooms.

Legal Action:

The borrower or responsible adult (in the case of a borrower under 18 years of age) may be subject to either prosecution under North Carolina General Statute § 14-398 or civil process, if payment is not received for lost library materials.

RESPONSIBILITY

It is the responsibility of all Library staff to fully understand this policy and to ensure fair and equitable application. It is the responsibility of the Deputy Director, with the advice of the Board of Trustees, to interpret, monitor and recommend updates to the policy. The Library Director is the final authority regarding enforcing this policy.

Effective September 1, 2026