Fines and fees and how to avoid them

About Fines

You will be fined if books are overdue (returned after the due date) or the book is lost or is so overdue it is declared 'lost'*.

Overdue Fines
Overdue fines only show when the overdue book is returned. If you are in habit of getting fines please check your account regularly to see if books are overdue. They could be increasing daily. Note overdue short loan and recalled items have very high fines. See the fine amounts page on our website. To help you avoid fines we will renew your books for you if no one has requested them (up to your renewal limit) . See more about auto-renewals and how to avoid fines below.

Lost book fines
Lost book replacement fines are incurred if a book you borrowed is lost by you. Lost book fines are applied to your account when you tell us a book is lost or when the book has been overdue for more than 60 days (at which point the library system changes the status from 'overdue' to 'lost'). If a lost book is found, the lost book fine is refunded but the overdue fine must still be paid.

Consequences of having fines and fees:

• If unpaid fines (for all your overdue items) total more than $5 you will be blocked from borrowing.
• If unpaid fines or lost book fees total more than $50 you will be blocked from many Unitec services and may be subject to debt collection procedures. See section 4.9 of the Library Policy.

Auto-renewals
Your borrowed book/item will be automatically renewed 3 days before the due date, unless someone else has requested it or you’ve reached your renewal limit. If the item can’t be renewed, we will send you an email reminding you to return it.

Recalled items
If someone wants an item you have, it gets recalled. You will be notified of the new, earlier, due date by email.Note overdue fines for recalled books are much higher than normal books.

How to avoid fines and fees:

• Return short loan items on time as they have very high overdue fines
• Return recalled items as soon as you get notified as they have very high overdue fines
• Check your email regularly - we we will send you a reminder just before a book is due
• Check your library account online regularly to see when books are due
• Use the self check machine to borrow books and opt to get a printed due date receipt.

Notifications:

• You will get a reminder via email when books are due. 
• You will be notified by email when the system makes a book's status 'lost' .
• Reminders about outstanding fines and fees are notified to you monthly via email in your Library activity report. Note this monthly activity report is new from the beginning of 2015 - we did not do this in earlier years.

Questions?

The first point of contact regarding fines and fees is the Customer Service Assistants at each branch. Contact them via the branch phone number or email address on our 'contact us' web page.

Accessing 'My Favourites' on old LibrarySearch

The LibrarySearch system was upgraded and moved to another server on 3rd December. Unfortunately we were unable to migrate each user's 'my favourites' and saved searches.

What are 'my library favorites'? 

If you used LibrarySearch or website last year to search the Library catalogue for books or databases for articles, and you saved any records from the search results or if you save any search queries then you may have information saved under  ‘My Favourites’. We upgraded our library system at end of last year and we were not able to migrate individual’s saved records and search queries. Below we outline how you can login to the old system and retrieve your saved list or make a record of it. You have until 20 March to do this. After 20 March we will be switching off the old system. NOTE that you cannot place requests through the old system.

To obtain a record we suggest you email your LibrarySearch favorites to yourself or print out the list and save it.  (The email gives a very brief record, the print option provides much more information.)

In order to do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to old LibrarySearch  http://libsearch.unitec.ac.nz:1701/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=unitec 
2. Login  (click login on top right)
3. Click My Account
4. Click My Favourites
5. Select all the favorited items you wish to have a record of or click top checkbox to select them all
6. Click on the Print; or E-mail link on right, complete the short form that pops up and click SEND
   

           

Old LibrarySearch

 

New LibrarySearch

Note: Unitec Staff and students were first notified of this on 27 November 2014 via the NEST and Library website and facebook

New Library System has gone live!

Hurray – The new library system has gone live! Read on for a summary of how finding books, requesting, borrowing and renewing has changed.

Finding books

You can still search for library books the same way in LibraySearch, but after you search there are a few changes to the results list as follows:

• A new tab called "Find in Library" has replaced the old "locations" and "request" tabs.
• Use “Find in library” for more about where to find print books and journals (including their library shelf location) and request options
• To request items, log in at the top right of librarysearch, and go to 'find in library'>'request'
• If we have more than one edition/version of a title, click the title link or the “view versions ” link (on the right) for a list. The latest edition should display at the top of the list.

You still use “View online” to access ebooks and ejournals, and 'Details' to see the full catalogue record of the book or item.

Finding Databases and eJournals:

• Find databases for your research in your subjects's study guide. We are phasing out the 'Databases A-Z' list in April. However we are cataloguing the databases so you will be able to find and access them by searching LibrarySearch
• Find eJournals by searching the catalogue, or using the 'eJournals A-Z' linked from LibrarySearch top menu
 

Handy new borrowing features:

• Items will be automatically renewed 3 days before the due date, unless someone else has requested it or you’ve reached your renewal limit. If it can’t be renewed, you will receive an email so you know to return it.
• You can ask to get a due date receipt emailed to you from the desk. We will no longer print due date slips at the desk but you can opt to get a printed due date receipt when you borrow books at the self-check machine.
• You will receive a monthly email listing your current loans and the total balance of any outstanding fines as at the date of the email. You can also check your library account online by logging in from the Library webpage.

NOTE: If someone needs an item you have, it still gets recalled. We will contact you with a new, earlier, due date by email. You must return a recalled book by its new due date or you will incur very high fines.

More information about borrowing is available at: http://library.unitec.ac.nz/services/borrowing.htm

Questions and feedback are welcome – post a comment to this blog or email library@unitec.ac.nz

IMPORTANT NOTICE for those with 'my favorites' in LibrarySearch

The LibrarySearch system was upgraded and moved to another server on 3rd December. Unfortunately we were unable to migrate each user's 'my favourites'.

Access to the old LibrarySearch is being made available until 20 March 2015 so that you can get a copy of your favourites.  NOTE that you cannot place requests through the old system.

To obtain a record we suggest you email your LibrarySearch favorites to yourself or print out the list and save it.  (The email gives a very brief record, the print option provides much more information.)
In order to do this, follow these steps:

1. Go to old LibrarySearch  http://libsearch.unitec.ac.nz:1701/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?vid=unitec 
2. Login  (click login on top right)
3. Click My Account
4. Click My Favourites
5. Select all the favorited items you wish to have a record of or click top checkbox to select them all
6. Click on the Print; or E-mail link on right, complete the short form that pops up and click SEND
   

           

Old LibrarySearch

 

New LibrarySearch

Student lab in B110 Hub closed from 3rd December for renovations

The Student Computer Centre in the Mt Albert Campus hub (near the coffee kiosk) will be closed from 3 December 2014 until mid/late February 2015.

This is because the Hub in B180 and B110 is undergoing extensive renovations this summer, which are currently planned to be completed in mid-February.

Please use the Main Library (B110) for your Computing and Printing/Copying/Scanning needs. The Main Library has 52 student PCs and also laptops for loan.

Library Service Disruption - 29 November to 4 December

The Unitec Library is changing to a new Library Management System. As a result there will be some disruption to library services between 29 November until the new system goes live overnight on 3-4 December.

You will still be able to use LibrarySearch to look for books and resources. However some information may not be up to date during this time such as whether the item is currently available. You will also not be able to log into LibrarySearch to check your account or request items.

The libraries will be open for users. Check the library website for opening hours. 

We will still issue items but recommend you borrow/return resources prior to or after these dates to avoid any inconvenience.

Returned books will not be scanned in during this time. (However when they are scanned in the library, the return date will be backdated, so you will not be fined as a result of this disruption.)

Book/Item requests (such as hold shelf requests) will not be processed during this time. If you have an urgent request please ask library staff for help.

During this time the library system will not email nor text library notices such as overdue reminders and request pick up notifications.

We apologize for any inconvenience caused by the change.

Need some exam tips and techniques?

Check out the hints in the Study Toolbox

 http://libguides.unitec.ac.nz/examtechniques