Overdues & Bills

No more overdue fines!

The Smith College Libraries, along with the other Five Colleges, eliminated overdue fines in 2022 in order to remove barriers to access. Items are still expected to be returned by their due dates, and it’s important that borrowers read and respond to emailed library notices. 

Please direct any questions about loans to a library service desk or use Ask Us as soon as possible to avoid being billed for the item. Community cooperation is essential to assure equitable access to our collections for all borrowers, including you!

Overdue Loans

• Overdue notices are sent by email when an item is one day overdue and again two weeks later if the item has not been renewed or returned.
• Please renew or return your items when you receive an overdue notice to avoid being billed. Please contact us for help renewing a large number of items.
• If a billed item is not needed by another borrower, it can be renewed by contacting a service desk in any of our libraries, but can no longer be self-renewed.
• If you cannot locate a billed item, please contact the loaning library for assistance.
• Patrons are responsible for notifying the libraries of changes in email, campus or U.S. mail addresses.
• At 28 days overdue, or 14 days for short-term loans, borrowers are billed for replacement. The average bill of $85 is cleared if the item is renewed or returned before it has been replaced. Some expensive items may be billed at their replacement cost.
• Refunds will not be issued for items that must be replaced immediately due to high demand or that are returned more than 2 years after the original billing dates.
• If you receive a bill for library materials from Smith College, and have questions, please contact librarybilling@smith.edu