Why aren’t the fines/prices for overdue items posted anywhere on the website?

We do in fact have this information available on our library website, however I will be the first to admit that it isn’t particularly easy to find. You would have to know to click on ABOUT, then go to POLICIES, and then find the policies for borrowing our materials. It also doesn’t help that it’s a PDF that requires you to find this link after 3 or 4 clicks. We need to do a better job and make this information more transparent. We’ll assign this problem to our Access Services department and ask that they develop a web page that will make this information more clear, and we’ll find a way to make it easier to get to – or at least find should you choose to search our website. Thanks for letting us know how we can do a better job of making your library experience a good one.

We should be able to pay our library fines online It is 2009. You can pay for almost everything online. Why not Temple library fines? Other libraries provide this convenience, Why not Temple? Temple’s library system seem awfully low-tech.

This is a fine suggestion. We’d love to be able to offer online bill payment for overdue book fines, lost book fines, etc. It may very well be that other libraries offer this option, but I am not aware of them. In any case, regardless of what other libraries may offer, Temple University (and this isn’t something the Libraries can do independently – obviously we can only offer e-commerce options if the University makes it available) is currently in the midst of migrating its entire financial software system to a new system called Banner. We inquired about the possibilities of having an online payment option. That is definitely part of the future plan. However, given the implementation schedule we can’t expect this to be available until some time in 2012.

In the meantime we do offer the convenience of Diamond Dollar payment for all types of fines – but only in person. Again, Diamond Dollars doesn’t offer an online payment option.

If enough students feel strongly that Temple Universityshould make online payment options available, they may want to bring this to the attention of the University administration.

I checked out a book for a class paper. It is due on April 14, but I will need it a week or two longer. Should I bring the book to a librarian, would I be permitted to re-check it out?

Absolutely! Books may be renewed up to three times, unless a book has been requested by another student or faculty member. Renewing a book is easy too. You can do it anywhere you have an Internet connected computer. Just go to “My Library Account” and login using your Temple University network account. You can view all the books you have on loan, identify their due dates, and then renew them online. Do know that if you have existing library fines you won’t be able to renew them online, but you can renew them with a phone call to our circulation desk, 215-204-0744.

I’d really like to return my books outside without having to go to the circulation desk. I’ve seen them at other libraries. Why not Paley?

There was a book drop outside Paley Library in the past, but it was removed owing to continual damage to the books in the drop caused by vandals. However, given that we’ve had this request from time to time we are planning to acquire and put a book drop outside the library. We hope to have this in place for the fall 2009 semester. Do keep in mind that you will only be able to use the outdoor book drop when Paley is closed.

During the many hours we are open, you will be able to return your books to the bins near the Bell Tower or the Circulation Desk at the Tutttleman.  With these two options returning a book inside during operating hours does not present a great inconvenience for the majority of the TU community.

UPDATE: Paley Library will be adding a book return unit outside near the Bell Tower Entrance. Look for it in the fall of 2009