Due Dates 101: Holidays and Library Closings

It happens a lot around the holidays: you've driven up to return your books only to find that the library is closed. What do you do now?

First, don't panic. No books are due on days when the library is closed for any reason, whether it's a holiday, a snow day, or a city event such as Greater Andover Days. Books and movies whose due dates would land on a calendar day that we are scheduled to be closed are AUTOMATICALLY due on the first library day AFTER the scheduled closing.

For example, if I check out a DVD (which normally checks out for only seven days) on a Monday, it would be due on the next Monday. However, if the next Monday is a holiday and the library is closed, my DVD is not due until the next Tuesday.

Secondly, remember that no fines are charged on days when the library is closed. If I have a book due on Saturday but I fail to turn it in, there will be no fine for Sunday (because the library is always closed on Sundays). Whether I return the book to the outside return bin on Sunday or wait until Monday morning, the fine will be the same. Likewise, if my book was due the day before a holiday but I fail to turn it in, I will not be charged a fine the day of the holiday, only the day after.

So while you are gathered with your family this holiday season, don't worry about your library books. The library will still be there when the holidays are over.