University rakes in £106,000 from students’ overdue books

Jun 23 2009 by Ben Turner, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL’S universities coined in more than £300,000 in library fines in just one year.

John Moores reclaimed the highest amount of £147,000 in 07/08.

The University of Liverpool also collected a whopping £106,000 from students failing to hand back books on time in the same year.

A shortage of certain books to go around and a reluctance to relinquish sought-after titles were partly blamed for the arrears.

But student representatives admitted the buck, or in this case book, ultimately rested with them.

Figures released under the Freedom of Information Act show during the 2007/8 academic year £106,059.93 was clawed back by the University of Liverpool. The university reinvests all money generated into books and study resources.

Its most expensive fines relate to short-loan items which has a £2 tariff for the first day and £1 each subsequent day.

Phil Sykes, university librarian, said the charges ensured “borrowed items get back on the shelves” and added: “Research has shown that students are 25% more likely to find the books they need in libraries that charge fines.”

Students, he added, had backed the levies during a university survey.

Liverpool John Moores said the £147,000 it made from library fines in 07/08 will be reinvested into “core activities of learning, teaching and research”.

Edge Hill University which raked in £62,206 from the 2007/08 academic year also stressed fees were “fully re-invested on learning resources for Edge Hill students.” Its highest tariff is 50p per day for one week and overnight loan items – up to a maximum of £5 per item.

A spokeswoman said the fees were “fair and in line, if not lower, than other university libraries.”

Elsewhere, Liverpool Hope University has collected library fines of £19,355.70 for the current academic year.

Its fines policy includes charging 20p every 15 minutes for short loan items – up to a £5 maximum – with all money reinvested into library resources.

A spokeswoman stressed the fines were “not intended to be punitive, but to ensure the prompt return of items”.

The lion’s share of library users at the university are the 6,765 students, but 743 staff and 235 other members also make use of the facilities.

Last night Paul Athans, a politics student at Liverpool University said some books were so popular some students were “stashing titles” so they could have exclusive access to them without taking them away.

He added: “There could be more books to go around. But, to be fair, the university is addressing this by putting more and more online. Students do need to take more responsibility.”