Over the past three years, The University of Leeds has collected over £211,000 in library fines from overdue books.

In this time, universities across Yorkshire have received more than £600,000 in library fines.

The total collected at Leeds University was the highest, followed by Leeds Beckett which received nearly £150,000, and then Sheffield Hallam, which has acquired £103,539.

The University of Sheffield was not included in this figure, as they decided to scrap library fees in 2014.

The Yorkshire Evening Post have reported that the total figure in Yorkshire will actually be even higher, as the University of Hull and the University of Bradford only disclosed last year’s figure.

At Leeds University, late fines only occur if the borrowed book has been requested by someone else, whereas at some other universities, students are fined as soon as the book is overdue. At Leeds, fines can be up to £2.50 per day.

A spokesperson for the university has stated that “The university has five libraries and nearly 33,000 students, so our size is a factor in any comparison of library fines, and all fines are invested back into our libraries.”

 

[Image: Archello]

 

Polly Hatcher