Loans & Returns

Loan Periods
  • Books, including books on CD: 3-week loan period, 2 renewals permitted, unless the item is on hold for another patron
  • “Lucky Day” Book Collection: 3-week loan period, no renewals
  • Adult and Children’s DVDs: 1-week loan period, 2 renewals permitted, unless there are holds
  • Express DVDs: 3-day loan period, no renewals
  • Non-fiction (travel, instructional etc.) DVDs: 3-week loan period, 2 renewals permitted, unless their are holds
  • Periodicals: 1-week loan period, 2 renewals, unless there are holds
  • Museum passes: 2-day loan period, no renewals (one pass per family at a time) for physical passes. Most museum passes are available as print-on-demand, which do not need to be picked up or returned.

Almost all Durham Public Library materials will renew automatically up to two times, unless the item is on hold for another patron. Patrons will receive an email notifying them of the new due date. Lucky Day books and Express DVDs have no renewals and will not renew automatically.

Overdue Fines

The Durham Public Library does not charge daily overdue fees on most materials. Certain collections, such as museum passes, electronic equipment, etc., may have overdue fines. Additionally, materials that are owned by other libraries may still be subject to fines based on the lending institution’s policy. Please see Appendix 3 for a full list of loan periods and fines.

Long Overdue and Lost Items

Items that are overdue more than one loan period are considered lost. At that point, the patron will be charged the replacement cost of the item. A receipt will be given to the patron upon payment or replacement. If the lost item is found within 6 months of payment, the amount paid will be refunded on presentation of receipt.

Borrowing privileges will be suspended for patrons with charges of $25 for lost or damaged items on their account. Patrons can restore their borrowing privileges by returning the lost items or paying the replacement cost.

Damaged Items

When an item is returned damaged, the Library will determine if the patron should be held responsible for the damage, in which case, the patron will be charged for the cost of the item’s replacement.