Going Fine Free

It's good for our community! 

Removing overdue fines eliminates barriers and ensures equitable access to our whole community.

Our community is stronger and healthier when people have access to programs, services, and materials they need to pursue their educational, career, family, and life goals. Libraries are a place open to anyone and everyone. We hope this will encourage prior users to come back to the library and attract new users to experience our offerings.

Fine free means that as of 1 July 2023 the library no longer charges overdue fines for late items.

Due dates will still apply and memberships with overdue items will have their borrowing privileges suspended until the items are returned.

Items that are overdue greater than 30 days will automatically go onto the lost recovery process and recovery actions will be taken.

Due dates still apply. The return of items on time ensures equal access to the community collection by all members. You are able to renew a maximum of two times, providing the item does not have a reserve on it.

If you don’t return your items by the due date, your borrowing privileges will be suspended. Once an item is 31 days overdue, it will be considered lost, and you will be charged the replacement and processing fee. Further recovery actions may be undertaken if the items remain overdue.

We encourage members to contact the library and speak with a staff member if you are having any difficulties.

Please contact the Library and speak with a Library staff member who will check your membership. If your items have been returned then the overdue fines will be waived from your record and your borrowing privileges will be restored!

Please return your items to your nearest branch.

For memberships with items overdue prior to 1 July 2023, please speak to a staff member when you return your items to have your borrowing privileges restored. 

Suspended borrowing privileges means you will no longer be able to borrow from our collections, including eCollections, if you have overdue items on your membership.

This will impact being able to directly log onto Public PC’s and access printing services, and meeting room bookings. To access these services you will need to speak to a staff member to get temporary access. Please note that temporary access tickets for PCs are issued with discretion and may be limited.

Once you return your overdue items, the suspended borrowing status will be removed and you can freely access the services and collections through your membership card.

Please speak with a library staff member to discuss your individual membership.  The replacement cost of the items and associated processing fee will need to be paid, and then your borrowing privileges will be restored.

Recovery actions will vary according to an individual’s membership. Please speak with a library staff member.

The lost recovery letter is automatically generated at 31 days overdue as your items are assumed as “lost”. Any lost items will have the lost items cost and a processing fee applied per item, along with the suspended borrowing privileges.

Customers with overdue items that are on reserve to other customers, or with long overdues, may incur further recovery actions as required as per our membership terms and conditions.

Suspended borrowing privileges will not block access to use the library or attend activities.

It will affect being able to directly access PCs and booking meeting rooms through your membership. To access these services you will need to speak with a staff member for temporary access. Access to these services may be further restricted if items are long overdue and recovery actions are in place. 

You can view your current loans and their due dates and manage your renewals online by logging in through our City of Ryde Libraries app or website member portal.

Thank you for processing your overdue fines and returning your items to the library! All items overdue prior to 1 July 2023 are subject to Council’s 2022 - 2023 Fees and Charges.

From 1 July 2023 onwards, overdue items will no longer incur overdue fines.

From 1 July 2023 to 31 December 2023, we are holding a fines amnesty period, and waiving overdue fines for all returned items! If you have overdue fines on your account prior to 1 July 2023, you can return your overdue items before the end of the year to have your fines waived and your borrowing privileges restored. If your membership has expired or you’ve lost your library card since your last visit, you will also be eligible for a complimentary replacement library card during the amnesty period.