Lost and Damaged Library Book Policy

Lost Library Books

If the book has been lost for less than four weeks, we ask you to keep looking for it.  Your child will receive a verbal, friendly reminder in library class to remind him/her to keep looking for the missing item.  Once an item is two weeks overdue, electronic overdue notices will be sent home with your child. 

After four weeks have passed since the book was due, the book is officially considered lost.  At that point, your family must choose to either return the missing item or pay the replacement cost.  Please provide the library with either the cash (correct change only, please!  We cannot give change) or a check (Made out to Mountain View Elementary) to cover the replacement cost.  If the exact copy of the missing item cannot be obtained by the librarian, a similar title will be substituted.  Once a book is four weeks overdue, students may not checkout any more books until the book is paid for or found.

Refunds can only be given within the current school year (August-May).  If a missing book is located after this time, it then becomes the property of your family.

Please be aware that library books are becoming more and more expensive.  The average cost of a hardback children’s book is $20.00.  Many parents experience “sticker shock” when they are presented with a bill for lost library books.

It is also important to know that the library cannot accept new or used copies of missing items in place of paying the replacement cost.  Many of our books are purchased with special library bindings to make them more durable for heavy use.  For this reason, our policy only permits library staff to accept cash or check payments for the replacement of lost items.

Damaged Library Books

During library classes, your children learn to protect their books from the four most common ways library books end up damaged:

·         Pets—especially dogs

·         Babies and Toddlers—who are too young to know how to take care of books properly

·         Food—keep library books away from the kitchen table, please!

·         Liquids—cups spill, juice boxes explode, rain and puddles develop, all of these are dangerous for library books

Students are instructed to keep library books in a safe place to avoid these problems.  Yet, despite their best intentions, occasionally a library book is accidentally damaged.

If this happens to a book checked out to your child, please reassure your child that he or she will not “get in trouble” in the library.  Explain that he/she will have to tell the library staff about what happened and that your family will have to pay to replace the damaged item(s).  The library staff stresses this with all students while teaching  lessons about good book care, but many students feel very guilty and upset if their library books accidentally become damaged despite her many reassurances.

Send the damaged item back to school with a note explaining what happened.  The library staff will then take a look at the damaged item and see if we can repair the problem, and if we cannot, your family will need to pay the replacement cost.  In some special cases, your family may be assessed the costs of repairing any damage.  Each damaged book will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.  Once again, if you must pay replacement costs you may pay by cash (correct change only, please) or by check (made out to Mountain View Elementary).  Money paid for damaged items cannot be refunded.