You can return items anytime after the due date. If you bring them back within 21 days, there’s no charge.
After 21 days, you’ll receive a bill for the item and a small processing fee. Return the original item within 21 days of the bill, in good condition, and most charges will be waived. If the item is damaged, lost, or stolen, visit the Checkout Desk or call us at (270) 684-0211, option 2 — we’ll work with you to find a solution.
At 42 days overdue, if your balance is $25 or more, your account goes to Unique Management, a company that helps recover library materials. There’s a $10 fee for this service, but if you return the item in good condition, all other fees will be waived. Unique Management never reports to credit agencies, never garnishes wages, and only handles billing for the library.
Read our Circulation Policies & Procedures for details on borrowing library materials.
If you need help, we want to work with you! Stop by the Checkout Desk or call (270) 684-0211, option 2.
Fine Free FAQ
What does “fine free” mean?
“Fine free” means the library will never charge you overdue fines. However, you will be charged to replace lost, stolen, missing, or damaged items. An item is considered lost if it is not returned 21 days after it is due.
Without fines, why would anyone return their items on time?
Most library patrons return their materials on time, or shortly after the due date. Overdue fines are not necessary for library operations and create an unnecessary burden on patrons.
By shortening the amount of time an overdue item is considered lost from 45 days to 21, the library can replace the unreturned item faster and assure that more patrons can borrow it.
How long can I keep an item?
All items can be borrowed for 21 days.
Why is the checkout time for books shorter now?
The purpose of the 21-day checkout time is to simplify due dates. It’s true that the checkout time for books with no holds has been shortened by 7 days. However, the checkout time for books with holds has increased from 14 days to 21. And the amount of time you can borrow a mobile hotspot or a movie has tripled, from 7 days to 21.
What happens if I don’t bring the item back by its due date?
The library will automatically renew the item for you up to 2 times, as long as it is not on hold and is eligible for renewal. Typically, you will be able to keep an item for up to 63 days without having to do anything.
What is Unique Management?
Unique Management is a collection agency that handles billing services for the library. Unique will NEVER report you to credit monitoring services or garnish your wages or government assistance funds.
Unique simply bills accounts owing $25 or more for 21 days or more. Unique charges $10 per account, which is added to the account’s outstanding balance.
Why does the library use a collection agency?
The library has used Unique Management for many years. Unique Management provides billing services for countless libraries across North America. For a $10 fee, Unique will take over the job of recovering fees for materials that are damaged or never returned, saving the library money and valuable staff time.
Will unpaid fees hurt my credit score?
No. Unique Management and the library will NEVER REPORT you to a credit monitoring agency. Their only goal is to recoup the expense of replacing damaged, lost, missing, or stolen items.
Will I be prosecuted if I fail to return an item?
In the majority of instances, no. The library is entrusted with community resources and takes every reasonable measure to make them available to all. Public Services staff will exhaust all efforts to work with responsible patrons to recover items that have not been returned, in a way that benefits everyone.
On the very rare occasion that the library has determined that an individual has taken or borrowed items from the library with the willful intent to keep them, the library may work with authorities to prosecute the individual using the Kentucky statute KRS 514.030.