Users with $50 in fines to have borrowing privileges temporarily suspended

As of Friday, September 13, Library users who owe $50 or more in overdue fines and other charges will have their borrowing privileges suspended until they have resolved their outstanding fines. This $50 limit is designed to help users better manage their Library accounts and to encourage them to resolve any fine balances before they reach $100, when their ability to register for classes or obtain transcripts will be restricted.

In the past, Library users have been allowed to accumulate $99 in fines before their borrowing privileges have been suspended. To assist users in making this transition, the Library is, as a one-time measure, reducing the current balance owed for past overdue fines by 50% for fines incurred through September 12. A user who owed $50 in overdue fines on September 12, for example, will owe $25 in overdue fines on September 13.

This one-time reduction in overdue fines is intended to prevent users with $50 to $99 in overdue fines from having their borrowing privileges suspended under the new $50 limit. Lost book charges, locker fees, and other outstanding library fees other than overdue fines will not be reduced and will count toward the $50 limit on outstanding charges. 

Fines incurred on or after September 13 that raise the balance owed to $50 will cause a user’s borrowing privileges to be suspended. Users can view any outstanding fines by logging into My Account and selecting Blocks. Users who owe more than $50 can restore their borrowing privileges by paying any outstanding fines on their account.

More information about borrowing policies, including fines, is available at lib.uchicago.edu/e/using/borrow.