Grantham Library owed over £1,700 in overdue fines

When you take out a book from the library, remembering to take it back can be something that easily slips your mind – but this can lead to overdue fines...

As of December 1, 2022, the total sum of fines currently owed to Grantham Library is £1,725.08, a Freedom of Information request has revealed.

It is unknown what the biggest library fine is as overdue fines are capped at £8 per item for adults and £2 per item for junior members.

There are currently 877 items overdue at the library, in the Isaac Newton Shopping Centre.

Louise Egan, library and heritage client lead at Lincolnshire County Council, said: "The library service is here for everyone in Lincolnshire to use and so we welcome and encourage the return of items by their due date so that others can benefit from them too.

"To help library users manage their loans and know when items are due back, we provide a free email notification service and items can be renewed in person at the library, by phone via our Customer Service Centre, and online through our website.

“There are no overdue charges on a book’s first day overdue, and while adult members do incur a small charge after the first day, there are no fines on children’s books on children’s cards for the first eight weeks. We recognise that life can sometimes be challenging, and items can become overdue due to extenuating circumstances.

"In such situations, we encourage borrowers to talk to a team member as we are able to waive overdue charges in such situations.”

Grantham Library has 9,732 library cards registered to it, which can be used across any Lincolnshire library.