Frequently Asked Questions - Borrowing Guidelines

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Board policy provides that limits on the number of items, reserves and length of loan will be determined by the Administration depending on the quantity available and the demand for the material.

ITEM LIMITS

1.  Maximum total items borrower may check out:  75

2.  High Demand Collection Limits:

          DVDs:                     14 items per card

          Lucky Day books:     2 items per card

          Lucky Day DVDs:      1 item per card

Games:                    2 items per card

TIY Kits:                   2 items per card

LOAN PERIODS

7 days

  • Games
  • JGames
  • DVDs
  • Children's DVDs

14 days

  • Magazines - Adult, Young Adult and Children's
  • New fiction
  • New Non-Fiction with long reserve lists
  • Luck Day Adult and Children's books
  • TIY Kits

28 days

  • Books on CD - Adult, Young Adult and Children's
  • Children's books
  • CD-ROM
  • Compact Discs
  • Fiction and Non-Fiction
  • Foreign Language materials
  • Large Print
  • New Non-Fiction
  • Paperback books
  • Young Adult books and paperback books

HOLDS LIMIT

  • Maximum number of items: 50

INTERLIBRARY LOAN MATERIALS

  • Due date is set by the lending library and can be anything from one day to one month.

 

RENEWALS

Most library materials can be renewed two times if the items have not been reserved by another library user.  Items may be renewed in person, through the library's catalog, on the Internet or by telephone.

There are NO renewals on reserved items, Lucky Day bestsellers, reference books and interlibrary loan materials.

 

 


Most library materials can be renewed two times if the items have not been reserved by another library user. Items may be renewed in person, through the library's catalog and by telephone 236-5203.

There are NO renewals on reserved items, Lucky Day best sellers, Lucky Day DVDs, reference books, and interlibrary loan materials.

  1. The daily fine rate is $.10 per day/per item for adult material and $.05 per day/per item for children's materials except:
    • Reference Material - $1.00 per day/ per item
    • Interlibrary Loan Material - $1.00 per item/ per day
    • eReaders - $1.00 per day
  2. The library will not charge fines for days when it is closed.
  3. The maximum fine is $5.00 per item for adult material except for reference and interlibrary loan material for which it is $10.00 per item. The maximum fine for children's material is $3.00 per item.
  4. Customers are allowed to check out material or use public internet stations until their total accumulated fines reach $5. At that point, fines must be paid down to less than $5 total before a customer can check out additional library items, use the library Internet computers or submit an interlibrary loan request.

Overdue notices and billing
At the library, it's all about sharing. Materials that are kept out for long periods of time are not available to other library users. A small number of library users (fewer than 1 percent) do not return library materials or pay for their replacement. To efficiently handle these situations and reduce the amount of tax dollars spent locating or replacing missing items, the Oshkosh Public Library uses Unique Management Systems (UMS) to collect charges for unreturned library materials.

Notices for overdue materials
Customers receive notices that library items are overdue via automated phone calls or by e-mail.

Phone call notices
The library now uses automated phone calls to notify customers when items are overdue instead of paper notices sent out by mail.

E-mail notices
E-mail notices are sent three days before an item is due; or one day before an item with a shorter loan period is due (i.e. DVDs).

Overdue Notices Schedule    
  Phone Call Email
Predue Notice None 3 days; 1 Day for DVDs
1st Overdue Notice 4 Days 3 Days
2nd Overdue Notice None 15 Days
Bill for unreturned item 30 Days; US Mailed 30 Days
Second bill notice None 37 Days-US Mailed
Bill referred to a Collection Agency
and a $15 non-refundable fee is charged to the user
45 Days 45 Days
1st Letter sent from Collection Agency 46 Days 46 Days
2nd Letter sent from Collection Agency 67 Days 67 Days
1st Collection Agency phone call 81 Days 81 Days
3rd Letter sent from the Collection Agency 109 Days 109 Days

Please make sure the phone number listed in your library account is current and correct to ensure that you received the necessary notices.

Paying fines and fees

  • The Oshkosh Public Library accepts cash or credit card payments at the library or online.
  • The $15 UMS fee and any overdue fines must be paid even if you return the item after being contacted by UMS.
  • If you are contacted by UMS and do not remember which items have not been returned, contact the library at 236-5203.
  • If you are contacted by UMS on our behalf, and you question the accuracy of the bill, please contact the library at 236-5203.

Privacy & Responsibility

  • UMS, the collection agency, receives only the patron identification information and amount owed. They do not get information about which titles the patron has checked out.
  • Library users are responsible for all use made of their card until it has been reported as lost or stolen to the Oshkosh Public Library Circulation Department.
     

In the event of lost or damaged materials, library users will be assessed the actual price as assigned in the lost-item record.  If no price information is assigned, library users will be charged default replacement prices for library items that are lost or damaged beyond repair.  Authorized OPL staff may make exceptions that is significantly different than the default replacement prices

Payments will be refunded up to one year after the item is paid for if the item is returned to the library by the borrower, or is located by the library.

Billing practices of other libraries that loan items to Oshkosh Public Library customers may vary.
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