Tip of the Week

Tip for: 04.24.2006

The Difference Between Charges, Fees, Fines, and Overdues

Summary: It may not seem like it would make much difference, but terminology can sometimes be a bit confusing when you're dealing with something like the difference between a charge, fee, or fine.  This tip will clarify the way Alexandria uses these terms and how to differentiate them when running reports.

Charges = Money a patron is charged for a lost or damaged item.

Fee = A miscellaneous charge for something like library club dues, etc.

Fine = This is the charge for an item that is overdue. Prior to a book being returned there is an asterisk next to the indicated charge on an Overdue report to indicate that the amount is calculated and not the official amount until the item is returned.

As mentioned above, charges are used to indicate the cost of a lost or damaged book charged to a patron. These may be printed from the Charges Tab of the Circulation window for the current patron. You may also run the Charges and Overdue Fines format of the Circulation reports. These items will also appear on Overdue Notices if you choose to include Charges, Fees, and Fines when running the report

If you wish to see just the outstanding charges, or just the outstanding overdue fines, it is best to run the Charges and Overdue Fines report. This report format allows you to select a checkbox to determine whether to only show which patrons have outstanding fines, or which have outstanding charges by checking the appropriate box. You can leave both checked to see both.

When you are running these reports, be sure and take note of the messages included with the charges. By reading the notes and being aware of whether or not there is an asterisk, you will get a better Idea of what the charges or fees are and what they are for.

Thank you,

 The Alexandria Staff Librarians

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