Figures acquired by Vision have revealed that the University Library is owed nearly £60,000 in fines. That total refers to lost, non-returned and late returned books.
Furthermore, the amount of money gained by the library through fines has risen by approximately £30,000 in the past three years.
The news comes after increased frustration amongst York students at the existing long-loan system, which is yet to be amended by University management. The current system ensures that students away from York for the holidays must post back their borrowed books that have been requested by others, otherwise facing a £2 per item per day fine.
The library did, however, introduce modifications to its loan system at the beginning of the academic year, following unsatisfactory levels in a student experience survey.
Rose Basista, a second year History of Art student, told Vision: “That is a ludicrous amount of money, especially as you aren’t allowed to graduate unless you have paid off your library fines. This must mean that these fines are all current students!
The Library chose not to comment.