Overdue, Damaged, and Lost ILL Policy: Welcome

To avoid overdue notices, fines, and bills please return or renew your materials before the due date. All library patrons can be charged damaged or lost book fines by the library for failure to return or renew material by the due date.

Unpaid library bills may block your borrowing privileges. If you are a student, unpaid library bills may also prevent your registration for classes, your graduation, or requests for transcripts. If faculty, your department will be contacted.

Although the library sends notices to help you manage the materials you’ve checked out, you are responsible for returning materials on time, whether or not you receive these notices.

MUSC sends overdue notices for materials not returned by the due date.

• You will receive an automated reminder 2 days before the due date
• You will receive an automated overdue notice 2 days after the due date
• You will receive another automated overdue email and your account is blocked 1 week after previous overdue notice.
• Interlibrary loan department will attempt to contact you through email and listed phone.
• If still not returned or unable to make contact, the Director of Information Resources and Collection Services will contact the borrower with an invoice of the cost of materials not returned and also contact student affairs/faculty department 30 days after due date

Material is considered damaged if the condition is worse than when it was received. This includes, but is not limited to, cracked binding, gouges, pages ripped/missing, water stains, highlighting, annotation/markings, etc. Patron is responsible and will be charged the cost to replace the material. 

Items are assumed lost when they are overdue for an extended time (varies based on lending institution). All library patrons, including faculty, can be charged for material not returned. The library from which the material came from determines the cost of replacement material. If a lost item is returned the replacement fee is usually waived unless the item has been damaged, has already been replaced by the library, or if the item was billed more than 1 year from initial due date.