Procrastinators are in trouble: Clark Library has updated their overdue items policy.
Starting this semester, any students, faculty or staff may have their borrowing privileges suspended if they have 10 or more overdue items, according to Christina Prucha, the library’s interim dean.
The suspension will also apply if fines or fees exceed $500.
Those who lose or damage Clark Library books can also expect a $10 processing fee in addition to a replacement fee of up to $50 per item.
“We buy a lot of things, and we do so with the intent that they are available to everyone,” Prucha said. “[The overdue policy is] not meant to be a punishment to anyone … It's really meant so that we can share the collection the way it was designed to [be shared].”
In addition to the updated overdue policy, the library has new operation hours for the service desk and quiet floor, as well as new tech available for check out.
New operation hours
The library has changed its operation hours for the quiet floor and service desk, with both now closing at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.
“There are lots of people in the library between 10 p.m. and midnight, but they're not necessarily checking things out … [thus] we have decided to shut down the service desk at 10 p.m.,” Prucha said.
Some students were surprised to find library times had changed.
Jackelyn Angeles Lozano, a first-year social work major, says she is concerned for students who would lose access to a quiet study space.
“Maybe their dorm is too loud, so they want to study here,” Angeles Lozano said. “So if they close at 10 p.m., [this change] doesn’t really give them [that] opportunity.”
The library’s first and second floors will continue to be open for student use. Prucha emphasizes that students who use the lower floor for its quiet atmosphere may use the quiet study lounge on the second floor.
Arwa Abdelmoaty, a senior biochemistry major, understands why the change in operation hours is happening. But Abdelmoaty is also curious how the change might impact students who utilize the service desk.
“I understand that they might just not have the numbers and that people might not want to work that late,” Abdelmoaty said. “But also, I feel like the library is one of the biggest resources on campus for students, in terms of every class for every year. So I think it is one resource that should be regularly staffed for the most part.”
New technology
For anyone needing a small savior during a dead phone emergency, the library has added new portable power banks for students to charge their phones on the go.
Clark Library conducts a yearly survey asking about students’ reviews for the library’s spaces and resources. According to the survey, Prucha says that what students were most in need of for tech was a convenient, portable way to charge their phones.
An example she presents is the lack of power outlets in classrooms or running late to a class when your phone is barely hanging in there with a battery at 5%.
Reem Alshaban is a news reporter at The Beacon. She can be reached at alshaban28@up.edu.
