Loan Periods and Fines/Fees
Fees for Lost or Damaged Items
Checkout of Library Materials
Limits Per Card
Lost Item Policy
Overdue Notices and Bills Schedule
Online Account Access and Library Elf
Loan Periods and Fines/Fees:
- Books, Magazines, Music CDs, CD-ROMs, and Kits (exceptions listed below) check out for 21 days. Overdue items are 25¢ per day, $10 max.
- BookXpress items check out for 14 days. Overdue items are $1 per day, $20 max.
- Kids board books, early readers, magazines, multimedia kits, picture books, and Spanish books check out for 21 days. As of June 2018, there are no overdue fees on these items. Fees incurred on these items prior to June 2018 will remain on the account, but no further fees will added.
- DVDs (except DVDXpress) and Blurays check out for 7 days. Overdue items are $1 per day, $20 max.
- DVDXpress items check out for 3 days. Overdue items are $2 per day, $20 max.
- Nonfiction DVDs, Books on CD, and Playaways check out for 21 days. Overdue items are $1 per day, $20 max.
- Ukulele kits check out for 21 days. Overdue items are $1 per day, $20 max.
- WiFi Hotspots check out for 14 days. There are no overdue fees.
Fees for Lost or Damaged Items:
- Replacement cost of the item
- CD and DVD cases: $5
- Book on CD cases: $10
- Each Book on CD disk: $10
- Playaway Lanyard: $5
- Ukulele Kits and WiFi Hotspots have additional fees for lost/damaged items. Please see the ukulele kits page or the hotspots page for details.
- Collection agency referral fee: $10
- Returned check fee: $15 per check
- Out-of-state resident library card fee: $20 per year
Checkout of Library Materials:
- Customers with a valid library card (owing less than $25 in fines), may check out library materials.
- If the customer does not have the library card, he/she should present another ID or verify information on the account in order to check out library materials.
Limits Per Card:
- Maximum of 75 items checked out
- 2 DVDXpress
- Most items may be renewed four times unless items have been requested by other customers. BookXpress and DVDXpress items cannot be renewed.
- Eligible items will be automatically renewed three days before their due date. Exceptions to auto-renewal include:
- Items that have been placed on hold by another customer
- Items that have reached the maximum number of renewals
- Any e-content (digital books, magazines, music, movies, etc)
- Any account that is blocked
- Items that are automatically renewed will be renewed from the original due date.
- Items borrowed from Maryland Libraries other than Calvert, Charles or St. Mary’s (Marina items) may be renewed once if permitted by lending library.
- Customers with email will receive notification of successful automatic renewal, as well as a list of items that were not renewed.
Lost Item Policy:
- If an item is lost or damaged, the customer will be billed the replacement value of the item as identified in the catalog record. If the customer finds a lower price for a new item using an online bookseller, ie. Amazon.com, they may pay the lower amount instead. No replacement items will be accepted.
- If a customer returns an item that has been recorded as “lost and paid,” a refund will be issued upon presentation of the original receipt. All requests for refunds must occur within one (1) month of payment. The refund shall be the amount paid by the customer for the lost item.
- Customers with a balance of $25 or more or more than 75 items checked out will be blocked from checking out, placing holds, and downloading books.
Overdue Notices & Bills Schedule:
- Customers with email: a courtesy reminder/autorenewal notice 3 days before the item is due, 7-day overdue notice, 21-day overdue notice, 45-day overdue notice.
- Customers without email: 21-day overdue notice via automated phone service (due to confidentiality titles are not mentioned), 45-day notice via the US mail.
- Bills are sent to all account with $50 or more in fines, even if materials have been returned.
- It is important to return materials on time. If you do not return items within 45 days, they are listed as “lost” and become a fine on your account.
- An account with a balance of $50 or more, if not resolved within 59 days of the due date, is automatically sent to a collection agency, even if all items have been returned and a $50 fine remains.
- A $10 collection service charge is added to the account.
- St. Mary’s County Library partners with Calvert Library and Charles County Public Library to offer a materials for the residents of Southern Maryland. If materials are not available in a customer’s home branch, they may place a hold on the item in the catalog.
- If a title is not available in the tri-county area, but is owned by another public library in the state, it can potentially be requested through the MARINA collaboration of Maryland public libraries. Customers may place their own requests using MARINA, or by asking information staff at any library to help.
- If a title is not available locally or state-wide, please see information staff at any library for help.
- There is a limit of 50 holds at one time.
- The customer is informed that the item is in through either an email message or a phone call.
- Holds will be held for five (5) days following notification before being returned to the owning library.
Online Account Access and Library Elf:
- All customers can view their library account, renew items, and manage holds from the My Account page.
- Sign up for Library Elf to view items checked out and on hold and receive reminder emails. Customers can add multiple library cards to their Library Elf account. Already have a Library Elf account? Sign in!