Damaged & Lost Material

The account holder is responsible for all repair or replacement costs for lost or damaged materials, except for that incurred through normal wear and tear. 

Normal wear and tear is defined as deterioration that can be reasonably expected to occur over time or from regular handling. Examples are loose bindings, slight discoloration or fading of pages or covers, slight scratches on discs, etc.

Minor damage is defined as damage that can be easily repaired by library staff. This includes torn book jackets and missing barcodes or RFID tags.

Major damage is defined as items damaged beyond repair. This includes any water damage, mildew, soiled or stained pages, vermin infestation, chewed corners or pages, pen or pencil markings, and odors that do not dissipate in 24 hours.

Existing damage should be reported within 24 hours after checkout to 865-273-1425. Materials reported lost due to fire, flood or theft must be documented by an insurance claim or police report filed within 48 hours of the incident.

A processing fee of $5 is applied to all lost and damaged items. This fee covers the costs of replacement barcodes, RFID tags, and other processing related expenses.

The patron may pay the replacement price of the item as listed in the catalog record or bring in an acceptable replacement copy. The library provides guidelines for replacement copies and maintains the right to refuse items that do not meet those guidelines. We define an acceptable replacement as a new, not previously owned copy, free from any stamps, labels, damage or markings. The replacement must also be the same format as the previously damaged item (i.e. hardback, paperback, blu-ray, etc.). 

Payment

Payment can be made in-person at the circulation desk or online through your account. For bookkeeping purposes, partial payments for lost or damaged material cannot be accepted. A single payment for a lost or damaged item must be made so that one receipt per item can be issued.