Borrow and Renew Items

You no longer need to manually renew your library items! The library’s automatic renewal service will take care of the renewals for you! All items checked out at Fondulac District Library that are eligible for renewal will be automatically renewed on their due date.

Any items on your account that are eligible for renewal will now renew automatically on their due date. 

If you have an email address associated with your account, you will receive notification via email that lists which items were successfully renewed and which items were not, if applicable. (To sign up for email notifications, login in to your library card account or call or visit the library.)

Patrons without an email address registered with their account can check their account online or via the RSACat app. Patrons may also contact the library.

Most items are eligible for one renewal, as long as another patron has not placed a hold on the item and your account is in good standing.

Items will not renew automatically if:

• There is a hold on the item.
• The item has already been renewed.
• Your account is blocked due to fines or fees.
• Your account must be renewed or will expire before the end of the renewal lending period.
• The item is part of a non-renewable collection.
• The item is on interlibrary loan from outside of the RSAcat collection.
• The item is a digital item (eBooks, eAudiobooks, etc.).

Yes. If you wish to renew an item prior to its due date, simply renew it through your account online or speak to a staff member at the library. Manual renewals will extend the borrowing period from the date of the manual renewal.

Patrons may manually renew eligible borrowed items in-person, over the phone at (309) 699-3917, by text, or online. To renew items over the phone, please have your library card number ready. To renew items in-person, please have the items, and your library card or a current photo ID in hand.

To renew items online:

• Select Renew Materials under My Account on this site.
• Input your library card number and PIN. If you are unsure of your PIN, please call the library at (309) 699-3917.
• Select the Checkouts tab.
• Check the items you wish to renew.
• Click Renew.

Patrons cannot opt-out of automatic renewals at this time.

Libraries work because borrowers are entrusted to return materials so that others may use them. Patrons are still expected to adhere to loan periods and return or renew items on or before the due date. No overdue fines will be charged on any item checked out at FDL, regardless of who owns the item, which library issued your card, or where the item is returned. Due dates are provided at checkout and can be viewed by logging in to your account online, with the RSAcat Mobile app, or by text. The library will continue to send up to 3 additional overdue notices to patrons via mail or email. (Make sure your account email is up to date!)

Although patrons will not be charged overdue fines, the library will suspend borrowing privileges when items are not returned in a timely manner. Borrowing privileges will be suspended and bills will be issued for item replacement costs and processing fees when:

• items with 7- or 14-day lending periods and OCLC-based interlibrary loan items are 7 days overdue
• items with 21-day lending periods are 14 days overdue

Once an item is returned, the bill will be removed and borrowing privileges will be reinstated.

All existing overdue fines on items checked out at FDL have been waived! Fines from other libraries are still owed, and we encourage you to resolve those fines directly with the library that assessed them. Refunds cannot be issued for fines that have already been paid.

Accounts with unreturned billed items and a balance of $50 or more will be submitted to a materials recovery service 30 days after billing and will be assessed a $12 referral fee. The referral fee covers the cost to the library, is not waived upon the return of the items, and is only removed from the account when paid. Accounts are removed from collection status and borrowing privileges are restored when all items are returned and/or fees on the account are paid in full. This information is NOT reported to credit bureaus.

There are many reasons why your card may be blocked, including unreturned items, charges over $5 (e.g. drop-box fees, lost or damaged items), your card being expired or reported lost, or the library received returned mail from your address. Please contact us to find out why. If you check out items from a library that charges fines, you’re still responsible for paying the fines due to that library. Cardholders from other libraries are subject to the account balance limits established by that library.

At its August 2020 meeting, the Board of Trustees revised library policies to stop the assessment of overdue fines for items checked out at Fondulac District Library and approved clearing all outstanding overdue fines on items checked out at FDL from patron accounts, effective September 1, 2020. 

Overall, converting to a fine free system provides for more equitable access to library materials and services. We support the American Library Association’s assessment that the “imposition of monetary library fines creates a barrier to the provision of library and information services.” Studies show that fines do not motivate borrowers to return items on time and that charging overdue fines makes people less likely to visit or return to the library. Eliminating overdue fines means that more people in our community will have greater access to the library’s essential resources.

Revenue from overdue fines represented less than one percent of the library’s annual income. The Board of Trustees considered this minimal loss of revenue an investment in customer service, equitable access, and increasing benefits to the community. Donations to the library are always welcome.