Lost Item and Processing Fees Policy

Lost item and processing fees apply to all borrowers, who are liable for charges incurred.

Accounts with billed lost items will have fees applied to their University account. 

Fees

Replacement costs are assessed at the library’s discretion and may be increased based on the item's value. A minimum value of $75 applies in most cases, which is the average cost of replacement of library materials based on the 2017 U.S. College Book Price Index. Library equipment and Interlibrary Loan items are billed based on actual replacement cost.

Replacement charges may also apply to damaged items at the discretion of library staff.

If a lost item is returned within six months of the billing date, the lost item fee will be refunded.

Replacement copies

Library staff may accept either a new (preferred) or 'like new' (if no new copy is currently available) replacement of a lost item at their discretion in lieu of the replacement fee. The item must have the same ISBN number as the item lost. Any exceptions to the replacement policy must be approved by the User Services Librarian or their designate. Patrons are required to contact User Services staff before purchase to ensure items qualify as acceptable replacements. 

Library fee appeals

Library staff have the discretion to waive lost item fees in exceptional and documented situations, such as events outside of human control, natural disasters, etc. Patrons may request an appeal from the User Services Librarian or their designate within 45 days of the billing date.

Interlibrary Loan

Because Interlibrary Loan (ILL) items come from other institutions, they are treated differently from materials borrowed from WMU Libraries:

• ILL Items, unlike other items, will incur overdue fines of $1 a day.
• ILL items will be considered lost after an amount of time determined by the lending institution.
• Lost fees for ILL items are also determined by the lending institution and are most typically equal to the item’s replacement value. A $15 non-refundable processing fee will also be charged for lost ILL items.