If you have overdue books, please return them as soon as possible! And please let us know you'll be returning them by emailing circ@potsdam.edu.
Our system sends a number of overdue notices via email which, as the formal electronic communication channel of the college, we assume you have been checking. However, if you do not respond to these, after a certain period of time we will declare the book(s) lost and add a replacement charge to your college bill. THESE CHARGES ARE SUBSTANTIAL!!! We only wait so long before we give up, assume the books are lost (aka never coming back) and assess charges. See the chart on our Borrowing Policy page for the replacement costs. These are industry averages - not direct replacement costs. Don't let that paperback Shakespeare play cost you $125! We don't want to charge anyone, we just want the books back. But we bought them in the first place for our community of student borrowers and if you borrowed it, then clearly it is useful to students and we need a copy to lend out. If you don't return it, we need to replace it.
If you get a notice that the book(s) have been declared lost, CONTACT US AND RETURN THE ITEMS IMMEDIATELY! There is only a brief period of time between when the books are declared lost by the library and when the charges are added to your bill in student accounts. If you contact us and return the items then, you can still avoid the replacement charges. However, once the costs are transferred to your college bill, the library loses control of the ability to remove them and the outstanding charges on your bill will result in a block on your student account.
If you are a community or faculty borrower, these same charges will be applied to your library account and borrowing privileges blocked.
If you have overdue Interlibrary Loans, please return them as soon as possible. Similar charges are made for overdue ILL material but the replacement costs are added to your student bill (or library account as applicable) whenever the lending library sends us a bill.
If you have specific questions, please send an email to circ@potsdam.edu
