Library Notices

All library users are responsible for keeping track of due dates and times for materials and equipment checked out from the University of Kansas Libraries. Library staff should report the due dates and times when library materials are checked out. If the borrower has questions or does not understand the information provided, please ask questions before departing from the service desk.

The KU Libraries send a variety of library notices as a courtesy. Failure to receive a notice does not remove the borrower's obligation to return materials on time or to pay charges incurred.

The library uses email as the primary delivery method for all library notices. It is the responsibility of each borrower to inform the Libraries of address changes.

PRIVACY STATEMENT: Information communicated in library notices, whether sent via email or with paper notices, is intended only for the person to whom it is addressed and contains confidential information. If the person who receives the notice is not the intended recipient, that person is not authorized to read, retain, copy, disseminate, distribute, or use the notice or any part thereof. The unintended recipient of a library notice should contact the Circulation Business Specialist immediately with an email message to libfines@ku.edu; then destroy the notice by deleting it from the computer or by shredding the paper notice.

Terminology

Long-term loans are items checked out for 6 months to KU Faculty, Staff, Graduate Students, and Affiliates, and for 6 weeks to KU Undergraduates, KU Law Students, and all other Borrowers. Long-term loans are used for the Libraries' monographic (book) collections, for infrequently published bound journals, and for circulating materials from the Library Annex. Eligible items can be renewed online by eligible borrowers in good standing.

Short-term and Course Reserve loan periods range from 4 hours to 1 week and apply equally to all borrower groups. These loan periods are used for Course Reserve materials, library equipment (including laptops, calculators, keyboards, etc.), some periodicals, DVDs, and mircoforms; some items may be restricted to in-library use only. Most Short-term and all Course Reserve items cannot be renewed online.

Eligible borrowers are currently enrolled students, currently employed faculty, staff, and affiliates, and individuals with non-expired KU Library Borrower Cards.

Notices

Six types of notices are sent including Courtesy Due Notice, Item Available Notice, Notice of Fine or Fee, Overdue Notice, Recall Notices, and Statement of Fines and Fees Notice. Read more about these notices and borrower responsibilities when receiving one or more library notice.

Courtesy Due Notice

A Courtesy Due Notice is sent prior to the due date for the items checked out. This notice allows library borrowers the opportunity to return or renew items before overdue or lost item charges are incurred.

For items checked out for 7 or 14 days, the Courtesy Due Notice is sent 4 days before the due date.

For items with 6-week or 6-month loan periods, the Courtesy Due Notice is sent 7 days before the due date.

Courtesy Due Notices are not sent for items checked out for less than 7 days. Library borrowers should be certain to understand the due date and time before leaving the service desk where the items were checked out.

Time due information for library materials and equipment may be reviewed via My Account.

What are borrower responsibilities after receiving a Courtesy Due Notice?

Items checked out for 2 weeks or less will incur overdue charges as soon as the due dates and times expire.

• Most Short-term and all Course Reserve loan items cannot be renewed online; the borrower will need to return to the library where the items were checked out in order to check them out again.
• Eligible borrowers with less than $80 in library charges will be able to check items out again as long as other borrowers have not requested them.
• Two-week check-out laptops, one-week DVDs and videos shelved in Art, Music, and Watson, and one-week checkout bound and unbound journals shelved in Anschutz, Music, and Watson may be renewed online once before returning to the library to be checked out again as long as another borrower has not requested the items. To renew eligible items, log on to My Account.

Items with 6-week or 6-month loan periods must be renewed or returned within 30 days of the due date to avoid lost item replacement charges.

• To renew eligible items, log on to My Account.
• Eligible borrowers with less than $80 in library charges will be able to renew 6-week checkout items up to five times or 6-month checkout items up to six times.
• After the maximum number of online renewals, the items must be returned to the library to be checked out again.
• Recalled items cannot be renewed and will need to be returned by the due date to avoid overdue and lost item replacement charges.
• See Renewing Library Materials for additional information.

ILL (Interlibrary Loan) items borrowed from another library, regardless of the loan period, cannot be renewed online.

• Please refer to the jacket attached to each ILL item to identify options.
• See "How do I request a renewal?" on the Interlibrary Loan services page for additional information.
• For questions about Interlibrary Loan items borrowed from another library, email acqrs@ku.edu or call 785-864-3960.

Item Available Notice

The Item Available Notice is sent when a requested item becomes available for checkout and is on the Hold Shelf at the designated deliver to or pick up location.

What are borrower responsibilities after receiving an Item Available Notice?

• Please come in to check out the items before the indicated expiration dates reported in the Item Available Notice.
• The expiration date for most items will allow the borrower 10 days from the date on the notice to check out the items; however, there are some exceptions:
  • One-week checkout DVDs, videos, and bound and unbound journals must be checked out within 5 days.
  • The Anschutz and Watson two-week checkout laptops must be checked out within 3 days.
  • Interlibrary Loan items, designated ILL beside the title in the Item Available Notice, must be checked out by the Due Date if the Due Date in the item title is earlier than the Expiration Date listed in the notice.
  • If the ILL item title includes the letters NR, the item is not renewable; LUO indicates the item is available for in-library use only.

  Items available may also be reviewed through My Account.

  Notice of Fine or Fee

  A Notice of Fine or Fee is sent when recall, overdue, damage, returned check, or lost item charges have been incurred. This notice itemizes all charges accrued since the last notice and reports any previously unpaid balance without item details.

  • Cumulative outstanding charges of $80 or more result in suspended borrowing and request privileges.
  • When a borrower has $80 or more in library charges, it is no longer possible to renew items online.
  • Lost item replacement costs include 3 individual charges: cost of the item, processing fee, and maximum overdue fine.
  • Charges due at the library may also be reviewed by logging in to My Account. Charges do not appear in My Account until the item has been returned to the library or until the item has been declared lost. Charges that have been transferred to KU Student Accounts and Receivables for collection also do not appear in My Account.

  What are borrower responsibilities after receiving a Notice of Fine or Fee?

  • If the notice includes lost item replacement charges, the amount due may be reduced if the library materials or equipment are returned in good condition within 60 days of the original library billing.
  • Items that have been declared lost can no longer be renewed online and must be returned to the library. Eligible borrowers with less than $80.00 in library charges will be able to check out the items again as long as another borrower has not requested them.
  • To appeal library charges, contact the Circulation Business Specialist within 60 days of the date appearing on the original Notice of Fine or Fee by sending an email message to libfines@ku.edu.
  • See Billing and Payments for Library Charges to review payment options.
  • Unpaid charges will be transferred to KU Student Accounts and Receivables for collection.

  For additional information about library charges, see Replacement Charges for Lost Library Materials.

  Overdue Notice

  Policy update: Items must be renewed or returned before they are declared lost in order to avoid lost item replacement charges. Lost item replacement charges include the cost of the item, a $20 processing fee, and the maximum overdue fine. Effective August 20, 2018, only the cost of items declared lost and returned in good condition will be forgiven; the processing fee and maximum overdue fine will remain payable. See Replacement Charges for Lost Library Materials for additional information.

  For long-term loans (checked out for 6 weeks or 6 months) and many short-term loan items checked out for two weeks or less, the Overdue Notice is sent the first day an item becomes overdue; a second Overdue Notice is sent again when an item becomes 14 days overdue. For Reserve and Equipment loan items, the Overdue Notice is sent the first day the item becomes overdue; two additional overdue notices are sent at 2 and 4 days after the due date and time. The Overdue Notice reports the library items that are checked out to the borrower and now overdue; in some cases items are incurring overdue fines.

  What are borrower responsibilities after receiving an Overdue Notice?

  Items checked out for 2 weeks or less (short-term, reserve, and equipment loans) are now incurring overdue fines; the fines will be calculated and billed when the items are returned or declared lost at 30 days overdue. Course reserve and equipment items are declared lost at 10 days overdue.

  • Please return the items to the location from which they were checked out since these items cannot be renewed online.
  • Eligible borrowers with less than $80 in library charges will be able to check the items out again as long as other borrowers have not requested the items.
  • Exceptions: laptops, DVDs, videos, and bound and unbound periodicals checked out for 1 week may be renewed online once before returning to the library to be checked out again as long as another borrower has not requested the item. Log in to My Account to complete the one renewal.
  • To avoid lost item charges, return the items within 30 days of the due date (10 days for course reserve and equipment items).
  • Renewals by mail, telephone, or email are not accepted for KU-owned items.

  Items checked out with loan periods of 6 weeks or 6 months must be renewed or returned within 30 days to avoid lost item charges.

  • Eligible borrowers with less than $80 in library charges will be able to renew items available for renewal up to 5 times for 6-week loans or up to 6 times for 6-month loans.
  • To renew eligible items, go to My Account and log in as instructed.
  • After the maximum number of online renewals, the items must be returned to the library to be checked out again as long as there are no requests from other borrowers.
  • Recalled items cannot be renewed online, and if overdue are incurring an overdue fine; overdue fines will be calculated and billed when the items are returned or declared lost.
  • Renewals by mail, telephone, or email are not accepted for KU-owned items.
  • See Renewing Library Materials for additional information.

  If the borrower has questions or needs assistance, contact the Circulation Business Specialist with an email message to libfines@ku.edu.

  ILL (Interlibrary Loan) items borrowed from another library, regardless of the loan period, cannot be renewed online.

  • Please refer to the jacket attached to each ILL item to identify options.
  • See "How do I request a renewal?" on the Interlibrary Loan services page for additional information.
  • For questions about Interlibrary Loan items borrowed from another library, email acqrs@ku.edu or call 785-864-3960.

  Recall Notices

  The Recall Notice means that an item has been requested by another borrower. This notice is issued on the same day or the day after a recall is requested.

  The Recall-Overdue Notice is issued on the 15th day after the recall was first placed. If the item was already overdue or soon to be due at the time the recall was placed, the Recall-Overdue Notice will be issued earlier than the 15th day.

  What are borrower responsibilities after receiving a Recall Notice or Recall-Overdue Notice?

  • When a borrower receives a Recall Notice, the item must be returned by the new due date specified in the notice to avoid an overdue fine of $2 per day per recalled item.
  • The new due date will normally be 14 days following the date the recall was placed.
  • If the item is already overdue or soon to be due at the time the recall was placed, the recall due date will be the original due date.
  • If the first Recall Notice does not allow 14 days to return the item, please forward the Recall Notice to libfines@ku.edu with a request for additional information.
  • By the time the borrower receives the Recall-Overdue Notice, overdue charges are being incurred. Please return the item to a KU Libraries location as soon as possible.

  Statement of Fines and Fees Notice

  The Statement of Fines and Fees Notice is a summary of the borrower's unpaid fines and fees as of the date the statement is sent. Library borrowers will receive this notice weekly until the charges are paid in full, are otherwise resolved, or until they are transferred to KU Student Accounts and Receivables for collection. This notice is sent in addition to the Notice of Fine or Fee sent when the library charges are first incurred.

  • Charges on the statement may include unpaid overdue fines, processing fees, and lost item replacement charges. The charges may be for items that have been returned and for items that are still checked out to the borrower.
  • The charges outlined in the Statement of Fines and Fees are payable at the library as of the date the notice is sent and may also be reviewed by logging in to My Account. Charges do not appear in My Account until the item has been returned to the library or until the item has been declared lost. Charges that have been transferred to KU Student Accounts and Receivables for collection also do not appear in My Account.
  • Cumulative outstanding charges of $80 or more result in suspended borrowing and request privileges.

  What are borrower responsibilities after receiving a Statement of Fines and Fees Notice?

  • If the notice includes lost item replacement charges, the amount due may be reduced if the library materials or equipment are returned in good condition within 60 days of the original library billing.
  • Items that have been declared lost can no longer be renewed online and must be returned to the library.
  • Eligible borrowers with less than $80 in library charges will be able to check out the items again as long as another borrower has not requested them.
  • See Billing and Payments for Library Charges to review payment options.
  • To appeal library charges, contact the Circulation Business Specialist within 60 days of the date appearing on the original Notice of Fine or Fee by sending an email message to libfines@ku.edu.
  • Unpaid charges will be transferred to KU Student Accounts and Receivables for collection.

  For additional information about library charges, see Replacement Charges for Lost Library Materials.

  On This Page

  • Courtesy Due Notice
  • Item Available Notice
  • Notice of Fine or Fee
  • Overdue Notice
  • Recall Notices
  • Statement of Fines and Fees Notice