Library Fines for Middle Schools
School libraries are educational centers for students. Children can check out books for leisure reading, classroom activities, research and reports. Although middle school-aged children are still learning responsibility, consequences for not returning books on time must be enforced. This encourages proper library behavior and protects the library's collection of books.
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Daily Fines
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A typical daily fine for overdue books checked out by middle school students is around five to 10 cents for non-reference materials. Fines for reference books are around five to 15 cents higher. These fines are continuously charged to offending students until either the books are returned or until a set number of days have gone by to consider the book lost.
Damaged Books
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Students whose books have experienced water damage, torn pages, broken bindings or other types of damage may incur monetary charges. Instilling a damage fee encourages mindful use in students checking out books. For example, Washington Manor Middle School of San Leandro, California charges a minimum of $2 for damaged books, and will charge students with full replacement costs for severely damaged books.
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Lost Books
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If an item that has not been returned is reported as being lost, the student is responsible for paying for its replacement. This is also true for overdue books that have not been returned in a set time since their original due date. Middle school librarians may grant clemency to students they know have experienced financial hardships or disasters.
Loss of Privileges
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Students with overdue books may be denied the privilege of checking out other books indefinitely until their fines have been paid. Some middle school librarians may also withhold offending students' computer privileges until their fines have been paid. Some schools offer students the opportunity to volunteer in the library in order to work off their overdue fines.
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References
- Photo Credit shelves of library books image by nextrecord from Fotolia.com
