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Library Information and Policies: Damaged Books

Preservation of Materials

Preservation of Library Books

Books must be returned to the library in the same condition in which they were borrowed.

Charges will be assessed for books returned damaged. Books that are damaged beyond repair will result in replacement costs and processing charges being assessed.

Please avoid the following conditions and common sources of damage to library books:

  • Moisture (including rain and spilled beverages)
  • Using inappropriate materials as bookmarks, for example:
    • Post-it notes; the adhesive substance used on post-it notes is acidic, can rip pages, and can lift text
    • Paperclips; leave impressions and can rip pages
    • Pencils (or anything thicker than a piece of paper); wedged between pages causes damage to the spine
    • Rubberbands; leave damaging residue on pages and should not be used to hold pages back
    • Folding the corners of pages (dog-earing)
  • Animals
  • Stuffing books into an overfull bookdrop (if they don't go into the chute easily, return them at the Circulation desk)

Charges may be assessed at the discretion of the Library if any of the above conditions occur, even if accidental or inadvertent.

Please do not ever write in library books, even in pencil. Writing in books will result in charges being assessed.

If you come upon any library materials you believe need repairing, please hand them to a Circulation Department staff member. Everyone's cooperation is required in order to keep the collection in the best condition possible.

What is damage?

Damaged library materials

 What happens if I lose or damage library materials?

Please report it to the circulation desk.  Depending on the extent of the damage, you may be responsible for replacing the book.

 I like to use highlighters or pencils for notation. Is this damage?

Yes, it is. What might help you also might make it more difficult for someone else to use the book. Besides, it's simply bad for the books. You will be fined a replacement charge for any books which have been damaged by underlining or highlighting.

 What about stickies or Post-it notes?

Do not use them on library materials. The glue they use is not acid-free and it can harm library materials. Book pages can be torn easily when stickies are removed. If you need to bookmark certain pages, we ask that you use non-adhesive paper or thin cardboard bookmarks.

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